In Punjab, prisoners seek hospital date to meet families

Punjab govt has banned visits owing to Covid-19

RAWALPINDI: As reports of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) infections amongst jail prisoners spread, visits for inmates were cancelled across Punjab as a preventive measure against the virus which has infected over 45,000 people across the country.

With inmates at the Adiala jail not having seen their family for nearly 60 days, some have started to get creative to arrange a visit.

Some of the prisoners at the jail have resorted to getting themselves shifted to hospitals by claiming to be ill.

Once jail authorities move the prisoners, who apparently display serious medical symptoms, to hospitals, they ask for their families to be called in.

Sources in Adiala Jail told The Express Tribune that so far, over 600 inmates have complained of suffering from fever and flu among other ailments.

However, the jail doctors saw past the feigned illnesses, noting that 90 per cent of the cases were about the inmates trying to get a temporary exit from the prison allegedly to meet their families in the hospitals.

Several prisons even fell unconscious to get themselves a quick transfer to the healthcare facility. Sources say some internees' complained of symptoms related to Covid-19 to strengthen their case.

However, some tried to do things such as frothing at the mouth or other ailments where they are required to be shifted to a public hospital immediately.

“They just kind of refresh themselves by physically meeting their loved ones,” jail officials said.

“A vast majority of these are fake cases and are caught but around 10 per cent manage to escape the prison through this method, although for a brief period,” officials said.

Sources say that although this avenue has been explored by prisoners in the past, its use has escalated recently since the ban on prison meetings and conjugal visits were imposed.

Jail officials are also scared if a Covid-19 case emerges in the prison which houses far more internees than its sanctioned capacity.

Meanwhile, families have implored Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to allow them to meet with their detained loved ones before or on Eidul Fitr while strictly observing precautionary guidelines.

However, Adiala jail officials say the government has imposed restrictions on meetings and that they can do little about it.

”We will allow prison meetings once the government permits it,” they said.

As a middle way, officials said that families of inmates can send gifts or delicacies such as vermicelli on Eid day and assured that they will be delivered to the recipients.

Prisoners are permitted to contact their loved ones via telephone but termed it equivalent to a ‘half-meeting’.

Separately, The Express Tribune has learnt that a group of parents has moved a civil court to allow them to meet with their loved ones kept in the borstal. The lower court, however, directed them to approach the Lahore High Court (LHC).

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2020.