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Lack of doctors hits Hyderabad prisons
Notwithstanding the claims of jail authorities that they were taking all necessary care with regard to the health of the prisoners, statistics speak otherwise. While as many as 56 prisoners died in 2014 in Telangana State as against 53 in 2013, at Cherlapally jail itself there were at least 35 deaths reported till December 2014.
As many as 56 jail inmates succumbed to their illnesses in 2014
Hyderabad: Notwithstanding the claims of jail authorities that they were taking all necessary care with regard to the health of the prisoners, statistics speak otherwise. While as many as 56 prisoners died in 2014 in Telangana State as against 53 in 2013, at Cherlapally jail itself there were at least 35 deaths reported till December 2014.
Human Rights activists also alleged that there were no doctors in the jail throughout the year 2014. “Three posts of civil assistant surgeons were lying vacant throughout the year 2014. A civil assistant surgeon takes care of psychiatric problems of the prisoners. The inmates are living in deplorable conditions with no health check-ups and medical referrals,” Human Rights president S Jeevan Kumar said.
“The facts and figures through RTI really shocked me. The hospital sources revealed that seven inmates were brought dead and about 12 prisoners died within 24 hours of their admission into the hospital,” Jeevan added. However, the jail officials maintain that they are well-equipped with doctors and other paramedical staff to treat the prisoners. “We are taking all necessary precautions while handling serious cases or patients with long-standing chronic diseases.
We have also introduced a ‘Master Health Check’ (MHC) plan for prisoners who complete one week in jail. Once they complete a week in jail, they can take up the MHC and if any chronic diseases are diagnosed they would be referred to Gandhi Hospital or Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS),” Director General (Prisons and Correctional Services) VK Singh said.
However, it is alleged that treatment to political prisoners’ is different from the others. “Ill-treatment is meted out to normal prisoners whereas preferential treatment to political prisoners,” Human Rights activists said. When asked about the recruitment of doctors, Singh said the vacant posts of civil surgeons have been filled in January this year and the deaths have come down drastically. Only two cases have been reported so far in 2015.
One died of Swine flu on February 2, and another died mysteriously at a sub-jail in Mahabubnagar. “Since Cherlapally is a referral jail, prisoners are sent here. Sometimes, a person having a chronic ailment, which may not have been diagnosed or treated, comes to jail and dies. There are also cases of depression and psychiatric disorders which lead to death. Poverty, malnourishment and long-term sickness are some of the reasons for the deaths,” he said.
By:Victor Rao
