Suffering behind bars: Prisoners with hepatitis C await treatment

Shortage of medicines at hospitals leaves inmates reeling

LAHORE: A number of prisoners afflicted with hepatitis C languishing in the jails of Lahore are awaiting treatment owing to the unavailability of required medicines.

In a recent meeting, jail officials expressed concerns that at least 40 inmates of Lahore district and central jails were diagnosed with hepatitis C recently but they could not be given medical treatment.

Recently, jail officials met the District and Sessions Judge Nazir Ahmed Gajana at the district and sessions court and requested measures to be taken for the prisoners’ treatment. They asked Gajana to order the health director-general to issue medicines for the treatment of the patients.



The authorities told the judge that hepatitis was recently diagnosed in prisoners during their medical examination but proper treatment could not start as the required medicines were not available at the hospitals under which the district and central jails of Lahore fall.

The sessions judge told The Express Tribune that instructions have been passed to the authorities especially the health director-general to supply medicines to the hospitals. “It is their responsibility to provide medical treatment to prisoners,” he added.

Security talks

At the meeting, the superintendent of security was directed to send back the officials, who were called without permission for duties on the days of Muharram and sit-ins. The officials were earlier deputed for security of the old sessions court. The police high-ups were also warned to not make such a mistake again, of calling in officials without permission.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2016.