50 +ve convicts shifted to govt hosps

Nagpur: The Nagpur Central Jail authorities on Saturday shifted 50 Covid positive prisoners to government medical college and hospital (GMCH) and Mayo hospital for examination on Saturday. While 23 were sent back, two have been admitted at the GMCH.
Around 219 prisoners have tested positive so far making it the highest from any state prison. Till date, 57 jail staffers and around 40 of their family members too have tested positive. 40 staffers were discharged on Saturday.
As per a reliable source, there is a serious co-ordination issue cropping up between the prison authorities and the government hospitals. “The prisoners were brought for testing after a delay of several hours which caused inconvenience to other Covid patients. Also, there should proper bifurcation of the responsibilities between the GMCH and Mayo hospital regarding the treatment of the prisoners and jail staffers,” said the source.
After checking, the prisoners are to be shifted back to the makeshift barracks-turned-Covid care centre (CCC) in the prison if found asymptomatic. Till going to the press, the X-rays and other tests of the prisoners were under way at the two government hospitals.
Additional DG Sunil Ramanand, who is camping in the city, said a community hall on the Home Guard’s Dhantoli premises has been earmarked to be developed as CCC for the Central Jail instead of the earlier thought about sports complex at Mankapur. “We are now in the process to shift the prisoners,” he said.
District collector Ravindra Thakare said testing would be continued in the prison but only of the older prisoners, the ones with co-morbidities and also for anyone developing symptoms, in random manner.
“There are only two doctors at present in the prison. They look after treatment and other medical needs of prisoners and staffers for treatment, totalling around 2,000. We are now increasing the number of doctors by two to four who have been finalized by the civil surgeon,” said Thakare.