98 inmates of Karnal district jail test positive for Covid

Spread of Covid-19 in jails has raised concerns of authorities as 98 inmates, including nine women, of Karnal district jail have tested positive for Covid

Spread of Covid-19 in jails has raised concerns of authorities as 98 inmates, including nine women, of Karnal district jail have tested positive for Covid.

Amit Kumar, superintendent of Karnal district jail, said that of total 1,772 inmates in their jail, 98 inmates have been found infected in the last few days. (HT PHOTO)

Jail authorities said the infected inmates have been shifted to a special ward created for infected prisoners and they will be provided basic medical care.

Amit Kumar, superintendent of Karnal district jail, said that of total 1,772 inmates in their jail, 98 inmates have been found infected in the last few days.

He said that a special ward has been set up for them and they are being provided proper medical care under the guidance of the Karnal civil surgeon.

However, containing spread of the virus in jails has become a challenge for authorities as around 550 inmates from 12 jails in state have tested positive in the past couple of days.

According to figures prepared by the Haryana prisons department in April last year, there are around 18,897 prisoners, including 630 women who are lodged in 19 prisons in state which have a total capacity of 19,306 prisoners.

Eleven prisons in state, including Sirsa, Sonepat, Kaithal, Jind, Gurugram, Panipat, Kurukshetra, Bhiwani and central jail II Hisar, Narnaul and Rewari are accommodating more prisoners than their capacity.

Officials said government had issued instructions for the infected inmates, especially in Covid centres.

“Our jail has 300 more prisoners than its capacity and recently 30 of them tested positive. They were sent to Covid ward created by the government but it is challenging to protect inmates and staff members if the jail is overcrowded,” said a superintendent of a district jail, pleading anonymity.

Director general prisons Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor refused to comment on the efforts being made to contain spread of Covid in jails of Haryana.

As per the jail authorities, the instructions have been issued to create a separate ward for the infection pensioners if a jail has enough space otherwise the inmates from overcrowded jails will be sent to a special section of Rewari jail dedicated to Covid inmates.