Munni Devi at RIMS. (Photo courtesy: City BJP, Ranchi) Munni Devi at RIMS. (Photo courtesy: City BJP, Ranchi)

A day after top officers of Jharkhand Health Department conducted an inquiry at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for serving meals to a woman ‘patient’ on the orthopaedic ward’s floor, the woman, along with two other similar patients, was admitted at a psychiatry institute here.

Director of RIMS Dr B L Sherwal has been asked to explain lapses that led to the incident.

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According to Dr Ashok Kumar Nag, medical superintendent of Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Applied Sciences (RINPAS), besides the woman in question, who has given her name as Munni Devi, another woman and three men from RIMS were referred to the institute.

Two men and Munni Devi were admitted after prima facie assessment indicated they needed psychiatric medical assistance, officials said. “The other two were suffering from serious physical problems and were referred back to RIMS for treatment of their physical ailments first,” Dr Nag said. RINPAS director Dr Subhas Soren said the trio admitted will be “assessed on Sunday and further course of action would be taken up”.

RIMS director Dr Sherwal and medical superintendent Dr S K Choudhary could not be contacted for a comment despite repeated efforts.

Munni Devi claims police brought her to RIMS after she received injuries in a road accident, although the hospital staff said she is not registered as a patient there.

At RIMS, the corridor where Munni Devi was found, and where The Indian Express had Friday seen a few more patients like her, was cleared Saturday.

A senior official said there is no record of her being admitted at either the OPD or Emergency at RIMS. “She appeared to be unable to share information about herself and it was felt that she required psychiatric help,” the official said about her being referred to RINPAS.

But Additional Chief Secretary (Health) K Vidyasagar said the fact that a human being was served on hospital floor could not be condoned, and it is immaterial whether she was a patient or not.

Chief Minister Raghubar Das had Thursday ordered a detailed inquiry and called for strict action taken against those responsible for the “inhuman” behaviour.

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