One dead, six others critical after Thursday’s dinner
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: One prisoner died of suspected food poisoning while six others are critical out of 27 persons admitted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital for suspected food poisoning after dinner on Thursday.
The rest, including 11 from Mapusa judicial lock up, were treated at the Candolim primary health centre and the Asilo hospital. Prisoners from the Central Aguada Jail and Mapusa judicial lock-up complained of stomach pain and diarrhea, on Friday morning. The total number of inmates at Aguada is 126, even though the jail can house only 116. The authorities have ordered an inquiry into the incident.
The Goa Medical College was turned into a fortress as prisoners were being brought in the casualty ward in 108 ambulances every 15 minutes to half an hour.
Interestingly, Directorate of Food and Drug Administration officials claimed the dinner samples, which probably resulted in the outbreak of food poisoning, could not be collected because the food was already exhausted. Inspectors, have already collected samples of breakfast, vegetables and water for testing in their laboratory. The report is expected on Saturday.
Inspector General of Prisons Mihir Vardhan immediately ordered medical examination of all inmates in the Aguada jail. Vardhan said the number of those admitted is expected to rise even as five were reportedly discharged.
A team of six Health Services doctors examined the inmates.
GMC Dean V N Jindal told reporters after visiting the patients that all medical facilities will be provided. To a question on the exact cause of the illness, he replied, “At present, our duty is to treat them. They have complained of diarrhea and vomiting.”
Vardhan said 50 year old murder convict Mahadev Gaonkar died at the Candolim PHC at about 11.15am.
“We are taking all precautions after his death. Even if there is slightest sign of illness and also because Aguada jail has no medical facility, they are being referred to GMC,” he told reporters.
Sources said Gaonkar had first complained of diarrhea after dinner on Thursday night. He was subsequently taken to PHC and discharged soon.
Vardhan claimed he wasn’t aware of any details. “Gaonkar had complained of diarrhea and was taken to Candolim PHC. But he was soon discharged last night (Thursday night). Today (Friday) when he complained again, he was shifted to PHC but died,” he said adding, “We, then ordered for medical examination of all prisoners.” A jail source told Herald that by the time Gaonkar was rushed to the PHC Friday morning it was too late as the doctors declared him ‘brought dead’.
The prisons chief confirmed that the food is cooked by prisoners in the jail kitchen, which is also supplied to inmates lodged in the Mapusa jail lock-up.
It is learnt that a few prisoners had also complained of health issues after consuming dinner but Vardhan denied this saying medical tests were done as a ‘precautionary measure’.
The Aguada jail has been in the news with frequent fights and injuries caused to inmates leading to pointed questions being asked about the level of supervision in the jail.
The North Goa collector has once again been brought in as IG prisons after his predecessor was transferred around a week ago.
Meanwhile, over 150 personnel drawn from Panjim, Old Goa and Agassaim police stations, and Goa Reserve Battalion were stationed at the GMC while the prisoners were being brought in ambulances to the hospital.
While two prisoners were ferried from Aguada to GMC in each trip, IGP prisons requested the Health Department to increase the fleet as the number of patients began to rise.
Intense security was maintained in and around the premises to ensure no prisoner escapee. A police inspector told Herald that one constable each was deployed for each prisoner/patient to keep a constant watch on them. No visitors, except for doctors, were allowed to enter the ward from the main door.
The FDA team led by Deputy Director Jyoti Sardesai and inspectors Rajaram Patil, Shailesh Shenvi and Yogita Sirsat collected samples of the kanji (pez) which was served to inmates in Aguada and Mapusa in the morning. Water samples from the tank and running water, raw and cooked rice, maida dough were also collected, Sardesai said, “The report will be out by next week but the microbiological test on water samples might take a couple of weeks.”
Deceased was to be freed this year
Deceased convict Mahadev Gaonkar, reportedly the maternal uncle of Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar, had nearly competed his five-year sentence and was supposed to be released this year.
The South Goa Sessions Court had sentenced him to life imprisonment. He was one of the accused in the murder of his nephew. He had challenged the order in the High Court of Bombay at Goa which had reduced the sentence to five years.
Mapusa prisoners examined, discharged
About 11 prisoners from Mapusa judicial lock up were among the total number of prisoners affected due to food poisoning. Jail sources said they were rushed to Asilo hospital where they were examined and discharged later.
