By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Sept. 25: The Central Jail, Jagannath Dewal, Sundhara, and Bir Hospital, Wednesday refuted media reports and clarified that the death of jailbird Ramlakhan Jaiswal was natural.
Issuing a press statement after a press briefing organised at the Ministry of Home Affairs this evening, the hospital and the central jail officials jointly defended that the jail had first taken him to a hospital located inside the central jail after he experienced severe respiratory problem at 9:45 p.m. on September 19.
When the condition of 63-year old Jaiswal could not improve, he was immediately taken to Bir Hospital for further treatment, but the doctors, who came to attend him declared him dead at 10:55 p.m., director at Bir Hospital Dr. Kedar Prasad Ceintury, said at the press conference.
After the death of Jaiswal, the hospital collected his swab for coronavirus test and the report came out positive on September 21. The coronavirus test of the deceased was done before performing his postmortem, according to director Ceintury.
According to the hospital, Jaiswal was suffering from Parkinson’s disease and high blood pressure.
Dr. Ceintury said that when the body starts decomposing slowly, there is swelling and scalding on the body. Fluids also come out from nose and mouth when the body is not kept in refrigerator or the cold box. All these symptoms seen in the body of Jaiswal should be taken naturally when the body is not kept in the cold box, Dr Ceintury said. The body of Jaiswal has been lying as it is at the mortuary house at Bir Hospital for the last five days.
Meanwhile, jailer Laxmi Prasad Baskota said serious attention of the jail and the hospital was drawn towards the media reports that his death had been caused by the central jail's mistakes. Without knowing the medical condition and health condition of the deceased, it would be wrong to say that his eyes were taken out, there were cuts on his neck and the body parts were swollen, Baskota said.
Further details of the deceased can be made public only after receiving the postmortem report, according to Dr. Ceintury.