E-Paper
‘6.1K of 36K inmates in state jails ailing’
Around 17% — or 6,140 prisoners — of the total 36,195 inmates in jails across the state were ailing from skin, lung and heart diseases, cancer, tuberculosis, etc,
Around 17% — or 6,140 prisoners — of the total 36,195 inmates in jails across the state were ailing from skin, lung and heart diseases, cancer, tuberculosis, etc, in 2018, revealed a health survey conducted by prison authorities in the same year. The reason: Unhygienic conditions, lack of designated doctors in jails, and overcrowding.
The survey report, which was submitted to the home department in 2019, was accessed by HT recently. The majority of the ailing prisoners were from Jalgaon district jail-2, the report stated.
Shrikant Singh, principal secretary, home department, refused to comment without seeing the report. Home minister Anil Deskmukh didn’t respond to calls or messages.
The 2018 report stated that 42% — or 2,635 — of the 6,140 ailing prisoners were suffering from skin diseases, primarily itching. A total of 809 prisoners had heart diseases; 358 had mental health problems; 286 were HIV positive; 224 had lung diseases; 219 had psychological problems; 120 prisoners contracted tuberculosis; 125 suffered from kidney problems; and 40 inmates suffered from paralysis, among other issues. The ailing inmates include 5,419 men and 721 women.
In October 2019, HT had reported that although the 60 prisons across the state had a capacity of 24,032 inmates, the current population was 50% higher, at 36,195. For example, the 2018 health report stated that as of December 31, 2018, the population of Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai Central was 412% over its intake capacity. A former jail official said skin ailments are caused mainly owing to overcrowding, lack of hygiene, irregular bathing schedules and water shortage. The report stated that of the 2,635 prisoners with skin diseases, 350 were from Thane Central Jail, 250 from Aurangabad jail and 66 from Arthur Road jail. “Most barracks in Arthur Road or Thane Central Jails have a capacity of 50 to 60 prisoners, but house 200 to 250 prisoners. Inmates have to sleep close to each other. The heat and unhygienic situation leads to itching,” said a 25-year-old man who was released from Arthur Road jail in 2018.
Suresh Chavan, a retired deputy inspector general of prisons (DGP) and former member of the Justice KS Radhakrishnan Committee on prison reforms, said, “Every year the jail superintendents send a report to the health department, requesting for a medical official or doctor, but they don’t allot doctors. We have noticed many doctors working with jails are unhappy, and get transfers.” Chavan said the prisons department should coordinate with the health department to fill up vacancies at jails.
Meeran Borwankar, former state additional DGP, also said the lack of doctors in jails worsens the issue. “Very few doctors are willing to work in prisons. At one point we considered special recruitment of doctors only for the prisons department, but the plan was dropped as it was not cost-effective,” she said. Borwankar said the primary way to reduce ailments among prisoners was to reduce overcrowding. “Arthur Road and Thane prisons are overcrowded, inmates barely get place to sleep. Telemedicine, filling up vacancies of doctors, social workers will also help.”
