NAGPUR: Alleged Maoist sympathizer GN Saibaba, 54, is one of the five prisoners to have tested positive for Covid on Friday. With another employee too testing positive, the number of new cases from Central Jail is now 13.
Sources at the Government Medical College and Hospital and Central Jail said that the wheelchair-bound Saibaba’s computerized tomography (CT) scan score was 5 “which is slightly above normal”.
Confirming the development, jail superintendent Anup Kumre said, “The health condition of all is good. They were taken for other Covid-related tests to the GMCH and are undergoing treatment in the jail itself.”
Saibaba’s wife Vasanta and family members have demanded that he be shifted to a private hospital. According to them, three days ago Saibaba had informed them that he had Covid symptoms. “On the phone call, he could barely speak to us due to a throat infection,” reads the statement.
The family said that Saibaba suffers from 19 health ailments and has serious co-morbidities, including heart and kidney issues, that can lead to further complications under Covid. “Currently, he has high fever with low oxygen levels. His heart condition (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with left ventricular dysfunction) along with hypertension can be aggravated due to Covid. We wanted him out of jail but our parole requests have been rejected,” the statement said.
Saibaba, who is 90% physically challenged, has two helpers both of who tested negative.
The family has written to state chief minister and home minister asking that Saibaba be admitted to a private hospital and not the GMCH which “is highly infected and overflowing with patients”. “His treatment should be monitored by family members and he should have the facility to talk to his lawyers when needed,” the family has demanded.
On February 9, five prisoners including gangster-turned politician Arun Gawli tested positive. After tests at the GMCH, they are undergoing treatment in their respective cells.
As per Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) data, a 45-year-old jail officer tested positive on February 3. He was followed by another officer on February 8. 10 prisoners who showed Covid symptoms were tested and five came positive on February 9. Kumre did not disclose the exact number of prisoners and staff who underwent tests on Friday.
In June and July last year, over 300 inmates and staff tested positive after a jail guard developed Covid. A majority of them were asymptomatic so the remaining prisoners were not tested. At present, the Central Jail is having around 2,250 prisoners.
Activist Narayan Ahuja said that Covid spreading in jail proves that government guidelines have been violated. “All staff with symptoms should be tested to prevent transmission. Also, new inmates should be kept in another area for 5-7 days and transferred into jail only if they are RT-PCR negative,” he said.
Civil surgeon Dr VD Paturkar and chief medical officer of Central Jail Dr Chaudhari did not respond to TOI’s calls and messages.
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