High alert in Adiala Jail

Inmates barred from meeting visitors for the next three weeks

RAWALPINDI: With the recent increase in coronavirus cases across the country, the Punjab government has barred the inmates across the province from meeting visitors for the next three weeks as a precautionary measure.

To avoid surfacing of coronavirus cases in jails, where chances of infectious disease spread are high, the screening of all inmates in Adiala Jail has been completed.

The prison management has been equipped with temperature guns so that they could screen those being incarcerated freshly or anybody with symptoms of COVID-19.

Officials told The Express Tribune has learnt that the Adiala Jail houses around 5,000 inmates, double than its sanctioned capacity. Among these, over 500 go out to courts in the twin cities for trials

Besides inmates, the jail staff is also being checked for their body temperature before entering the jail premises while they have been advised to sanitise themselves at regular intervals.

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Speaking to the The Express Tribune, Adiala Jail Superintendent Chaudhry Saqib Nazeer said that they were maintaining cleanliness in the jail and organising awareness sessions to sensitise jail staff regarding precautions against COVID-19. Apart from the staff, he added that they formed groups of prisoners and held awareness sessions. Banners and panaflex inscribed with precautionary measures against the virus have also been put up at different spots, the officer said and added that they have procured around 5, 000 face masks for inmates and staffers.

Nazeer further told that the prisoners going out on court trials were being given masks to cover their faces while they were being screened on their return. “The screening is carried out on two spots including the entry gate on Adiala jail,” he noted and confirmed that none of the staff members nor any prisoners has so far been found having symptoms of the virus.

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The superintendent further informed that all prisoners including women and young prisoners were being given masks while the management has also allocated two cells, with six beds in each, as isolation ward.

If anyone is found infected with the virus or showing symptoms, he would be moved to the isolation ward immediately for initial medical aid, Nazeer said.

Narcotics court goes online

An Anti-Narcotics Court (ANC) on Saturday has stopped the superintendent jail from sending suspects to the court for trial until further orders and start hearing of cases by  video-link amid coronavirus threat.

In this regard, a letter has been sent to a superintendent jail by Judge Sohail Nasir. The judge barred the  jail official to send suspects held in drug cases to the ANC until the coronavirus situation across the country improved. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2020.