AIIMS discharges ‘healthy' Lalu

A major row erupted on Monday after Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) discharged Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad claiming “he has improved significantly”.

“He is currently stable and is fit to travel,” the hospital said in a statement.

However, Lalu — convicted in four fodder scam cases since 2013 the latest being the Dumka treasury case, in which a special CBI court sentenced him to 14 years in jail — alleged a “conspiracy by the CBI and Prime Minister Narendra Modi” for discharging him from AIIMS, where he has been hospitalised since March, and his supporters created ruckus at the hospital.

AIIMS has complained to police about unruly behaviour by the supporters of the RJD supremo.  His supporters broke a glass door resulting in injury of a security guard, and abused administration officials, including the director, alleged hospital sources. Acting on the complaint, the Delhi Police registered an FIR. Lalu was discharged hours after Congress president Rahul Gandhi called on him in the morning to enquire about his health and spent some 30 minutes with former Bihar Chief Minister. Lalu said AIIMS administration will be held responsible if something untoward happens to him after he is sent back to the hospital in Ranchi.

His party MP Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav alleged that AIIMS appeared to be acting under the pressure of Central agencies like the CBI.

The AIIMS medical board referred him back to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.

“Lalu was referred from RIMS to AIIMS for management of his acute medical condition.  He has improved significantly and as per advice of the medical board constituted for his treatment, he is being referred back to RIMS for management of his chronic issues. He is currently stable and is fit to travel,” AIIMS said in a statement.

Lalu was admitted to RIMS in Ranchi on March 17 over complaints of uneasiness. Before that he was lodged at the Birsa Munda Jail serving a jail term since December 23.

On March 29, he was admitted to AIIMS in Delhi for specialised treatment. A medical team, comprising six doctors, was set up to decide on the course of his treatment.

According to hospital sources, the medical team formed to decide on the course of his treatment, had decided to discharge Lalu on Saturday and had prepared the discharge summary, but the RJD chief requested them that he should be kept in the hospital till Monday as he wanted to travel by Ranchi Rajdhani Express.

Lalu, who was kept in a VIP room of the old private ward of the hospital, wrote to the director of AIIMS, saying he should not be discharged from AIIMS and not sent back to RIMS which doesn’t have proper facilities required for his treatment.

Citing various ailments such as heart problems, diabetes, kidney infection, high blood pressure, the RJD supremo, in his letter to the director, said doctors should not act under pressure from “certain individuals or political parties”.