Mumbai: Woman inmate in Byculla jail tests positive for Covid-19

According to officials, the 54-year-old inmate was referred to civic-run JJ Hospital last week after her oxygen saturation level fell below 90 per cent. (Representational)

In the first case of Covid-19 at Byculla women’s jail, a 54-year-old inmate has tested positive for the infection. This is the second prison in Mumbai to get affected after the Mumbai Central Jail, popularly known as the Arthur Road jail, tested positive for Covid-19 last week.

Last week, a medical officer at Byculla jail had tested positive. However, the staffer had not reported on duty at the jail for more than 20 days before he contracted the infection, officials said.

According to officials, the 54-year-old inmate was referred to civic-run JJ Hospital last week after her oxygen saturation level fell below 90 per cent. While she tested negative on May 8, a subsequent test on Saturday showed her to be positive. Officials said she has been admitted to St George Hospital.

The only prison for women inmates in the city, Byculla jail currently has 328 inmates, including pregnant women, senior citizens and women with previous illnesses, making them susceptible to the virus. The jail houses high-profile inmates, including Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukerjea and activists Sudha Bharadwaj and Shoma Sen — arrested for their alleged connection to the Elgaar Parishad case.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the total number of inmates at the Arthur Road jail to have tested positive for the virus went up to 158, besides 26 jail staffers.

The state administration has decided not to shift the coronavirus-infected jail inmates to a facility at Mahul following protests by local residents. “A Covid-19 quarantine ward has been opened at circles 3 and 10 at Arthur Road jail. A medical team of seven doctors and paramedics from JJ Hospital will be visiting the ward daily,” an official said. The decision, the official added, against shifting those positive to Mahul was taken due to “law and order, civic, medical and logistical issues”.

Local residents at Mahul had protested against shifting infected persons to the area as they are already plagued by respiratory issues due to the proximity to refineries in the area. Welfare groups had also said it would not conducive to the health of those infected to be shifted to Mahul.

The Arthur Road jail, which has a capacity of 800, is severely overcrowded with 2,800 inmates, mostly undertrials. On Friday, the government had issued a notification amending the Maharashtra Prisons (Mumbai Furlough and Parole) Rules specifying provisions for convicts. .The notification seeks to decongest central jails, where a majority of convicts are serving their terms.

In Mumbai Metropolitan Region, jails including Arthur Road, Byculla, Kalyan, Thane, Taloja, have a majority of undertrials. Since the notification was issued Friday, a total of 175 convicts have been released on emergency parole across the state, officials said.