Lalu shifted to paying ward in RIMS, Ranchi

Ranchi-based Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) has shifted jailed RJD president Lalu Prasad to the paying ward of the hospital, accepting his prayer which cited poor hygiene, mosquito menace and clamour of barking dogs as perilous to his health.

Prasad, convicted in the fodder scam, was shifted to the 100-bed paying ward on Wednesday night, RIMS director R K Shrivastava told PTI on Thursday. The RJD supremo will have to pay Rs 1,000 per day at the present ward.

Shrivastava said the change was done after permission was obtained from the jail superintendent.

The paying ward at present has only three patients which make the environment serene to the delight of Prasad, the RJD chief's close aide Bhola Yadav said.

A ward transfer application was moved earlier on behalf of the former Bihar chief minister to the director of the RIMS hospital, where Yadav was admitted.

The application cited that the waste pipe of a toilet close to his ward was clogged, emitting a foul smell, which imperilled his health.

It further said the lack of hygiene also leads to the menace of mosquitoes which is another potential health risk, especially in the rainy season. Besides, there is also the problem of excessive noise.

It was further highlighted that the post-mortem section is nearby which attracts a large number of stray dogs. Their barks and howls are a nuisance and cause immense discomfort to the septuagenarian, the application said.

Prasad being a diabetic needs to go for regular walks but the location of the cardiology department ward where he is lodged is "not suitable" for that, the plea mentioned.

The RJD chief's close aide Bhola Yadav, while talking to PTI, expressed thanks to the RIMS authorities for accepting ailing Prasad's plea for transferring him to the comfortable place in the hospital.

After spending a few months out of jail, the RJD supremo surrendered before a CBI court in Ranchi on August 30 upon the expiry of the provisional bail granted to him by the Jharkhand High Court for medical treatment.

The former Bihar chief minister had recently undergone a fistula operation at a Mumbai hospital. He is a heart patient with kidney ailments as well.