Bhubaneswar: An under-trial prisoner (UTP) of Jharpada Special Jail died of Covid-19 Sunday morning while undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
Three prisoners including Tripati Mohanty in Jharpada jail have succumbed to the virus in the state so far, said sources.
Speaking to media persons, DIG (Jail) Subhakanta Mishra revealed that Mohanty was jailed in a drug peddling case. He was also suffering from various other illnesses like diabetes and hypertension. He was reportedly admitted to Capital Hospital a couple of days back, Mishra said.
Later, Mohanty was shifted to AIIMS after his health condition deteriorated. Though Mohanty was found negative in three rapid antigen tests at AIIMS, his RT-PCR test at SCB showed positive for the virus. He was then shifted to the dedicated Covid hospital in Cuttack.
He died Sunday morning while undergoing treatment and his last rites were performed in adherence to all Covid protocols, sources said.
Citing poor health infrastructure inside the jails across the state, experts opined that more such deaths would also occur in future.
Many prisons in the state lack full-time doctors which is a major cause of concern amidst the spike in Covid-19 cases among the prisoners and jail staff during the last couple of days. Almost all the jails, barring a very few, don’t have dedicated ambulances.
Similarly, the decision to transfer of 85 prisoners from Jharpada jail to Banapur sub jail to decongest the prison is still not executed due to various reasons.