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After NHRC rap, Orissa to take greater care of prison inmates

M I Khan in Bhubaneswar

In the wake of increasing number of deaths of undertrials in recent months in Orissa jails due to poor health facilities, the state government has decided to issue health cards to all prisoners, including undertrials and lifers soon.

"The state government, acting on directives of the National Human Rights Commission, has decided to issue health cards to all prisoners in jails across the state," said a highly placed official of the prison department. The state government had already informed NHRC of this decision.

The NHRC has reminded the state government twice about the delay on this issue. It had asked the state government to conduct a medical examination of all prisoners, including undertrials, to ascertain their health status.

The recent deaths of three undertrials has exposed the gross inadequacies in Orissa's jails. Over a dozen prisoners have died in different jails in the last one year due to health problems like diarrhoea, deadly celebral malaria, tuberculosis and other sickness.

"Undertrials and one or two lifers have died," admitted a top official in Bhubaneswar. He attributed it to the unhygienic condition of cells, lack of proper health care and unavailability of medical officers in many jails.

Sources told rediff.com that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed that prisoners be exempted from user fees for treatment of all kinds of diseases.

The government has decided to provide mobile health teams, comprising medical experts and support staff to different jails. "The teams would soon start regular visits and monitor the health situation of prison inmates," sources said.

However, taking into account the problem of overcrowding, which has contributed substantially to the deteriorating health situation in the jails, the government has decided to increase capacity of some of the jails. Nearly double the permitted number of inmates are being housed in the state's prisons.

The state government also plans to increase budgetary provision for the jails to improve the quality of food and medicines in the jails, sources said. The funds crunch has taken a heavy toll of the food and health care expenses, they added.

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