Jail authorities strive to protect inmates from coronavirus

Accused in drug case tests positive during screening in Lahore prison

LAHORE: An accused in a drug smuggling case has tested positive for coronavirus during the screening of prisoners in Lahore Camp Jail.

A spokesperson for the prisons department said the test was conducted on March 22 and the result was received the next day.  On March 23, the patient was shifted to Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute for emergency treatment, from where he was admitted to the Corona Isolation Centre of Mayo Hospital and is still under treatment. The accused was healthy when he was brought to the jail.

After the development, five under-trial detainees and a police official who was on duty on the premises have also been tested for the virus.

The spokesperson said precautionary measures are being taken in jails as per directives of the Punjab Home Department to prevent spread of the virus among prisoners. He claimed that no negligence had been shown in tracing the patient.

The spokesperson said the premises where the detainee was kept had been locked down and those who came in contact with him had been quarantined. The compound where the case was reported has been sterilised with chlorine spray. Pesticides, hand sanitisers, soaps, gloves and masks are provided on the way in and out of the prison.

Meanwhile, in view of growing concerns about coronavirus spread in the country, precautionary measures are being taken in prisons across Punjab to protect the prisoners from the disease.

There are more than 46,000 prisoners, including women and juveniles in prisons across Punjab.  On the directives of the chief minister, the Punjab prisons inspector general has announced a 60-day remission for protecting as much prisoners as possible from contracting the disease.

As per the data for February, there are 46,387 prisoners in 42 jails in Punjab. They include 716 women and 551 juvenile inmates.

The remission in the sentences of prisoners will be implemented immediately under rule 216 of the Pakistan Prison Rules 1978. Punjab Prisons IG Mirza Sahid Saleem Baig told the Express Tribune that the move will also help reduce the number of prisoners in the jails.

In order to review the arrangements, the additional district and session judges not only examine the quality of food provided to detainees but also ask them about their problems during their monthly visits, he said.

In this regard, a few days ago, Kasur Additional District and Sessions Judge Syed Ali Abbas, Jhang ADSJ Ejaz Ali, Jhelum District and Sessions Judge Akmal Khan and Gujrat DSJ Mohammad Ejaz Butt visited the district jails. Mianwali ADSJ Mohammad Iqbal Harral also visited the Central Jail.

The IG said the deputy inspectors general are also paying surprise visits to prisons across Punjab to assess the implementation of precautionary measures against coronavirus.

He added that infrared thermometers had been provided to the prisons and their hospitals, which were being used to screen the prisoners for infection.

Surgical masks have been provided to the prisoners and staff by the prison administrations. The administrations have displayed lists of the symptoms and precautions at the interview sheds and admin blocks. The medical officers and paramedical staff are working on an awareness campaign against the disease.

Mirza Shahid Baig said instructions had been issued to set up special health desks in the prisons.

In accordance with an advisory, soaps and sanitisers have been provided to all prisoners. In addition to instructing the prisoners to cover their face while coughing and sneezing, police officials are also taking precautionary measures while dealing with them.

A letter has been issued to the superintendents of all prisons of the province, instructing them to take emergency measures to protect the prisoners and staff from the coronavirus.

The prison superintendents have been instructed to contact health officers for checkup of prisoners, staff and visitors. Additionally, they have been ordered to improve sanitation and hygiene standards in prisons. After receiving the letter, preventive measures and awareness campaigns have been launched in Bahawalpur Central Jail, Faisalabad District Jail and other prisons to prevent the spread of diseases such as coronavirus.

Bahawalpur Central Jail Superintendent Shahram Tauqir Khan said daily meetings are being held between the jail administration and medical staff to ensure implementation of precautionary measures against the disease. He said there is no case of coronavirus infection in the jail so far, but a separate cell has been set up for patients as a contingency measure.

Lahore Prisons DIG Malik Mubashir Ahmed Khan presided over a meeting to review the arrangements. The meeting was attended by Kot Lakhpat Central Jail Superintendent Ejaz Asghar and other officials. The officials were informed that it is the responsibility of the government and prison authorities to protect the prisoners from coronavirus. The superintendent said the Kot Lakhpat Central Jail administration and medical staff are taking precautionary measures against the coronavirus and will continue pursuing them until the virus is eradicated.

While the authorities have instructed the prison administrations to speed up safety measures, four temperature guns are available in each jail to check all visitors and staff.

Medical and paramedical staff conduct a checkup for coronavirus symptoms when receiving a new prisoner at a prison after judicial process. If a detainee is diagnosed with the symptoms of the coronavirus, the case is referred to the district hospital, depending on the patient's condition.

As part of the precautionary measures, separate coronavirus centres with at least four cells in each prison should be established immediately. Soap and masks will be provided to the inmates with the help of philanthropists.

The advisory says that the trial courts should be notified immediately about any prisoner who is infected, to get permission for not presenting them for hearings until they recover.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2020.