Separate breastfeeding room set up at Adiala jail

Heating room also arranged to keep newborns safe from the cold

RAWALPINDI:

For the first time, the Adiala administration has made arrangements as per international standards to meet the nutritional needs of the newborns of female prisoners.

DIG Rawalpindi Jail Region Saeedullah Gondal is personally supervising all the arrangements.

In this regard, a separate 'feeding room' has been set up for breastfeeding of infants. A heating room has also been arranged to keep the newborns safe from the cold. Further, a DVD player and an LED have also been installed in the jail to entertain the children, enabling them to watch cartoons of their choice.

Jail sources told The Express Tribune that currently, 26 newborn babies are in Adiala jail with their mothers who are serving their terms for various crimes.

According to the Punjab Prison Rules, 467ml of milk, 29gm of sugar and 117gm of rice are being given daily to each newborn baby while 467ml of pure milk is being provided to the mothers who are breastfeeding their children to meet their nutritional needs.

According to jail sources, with the help of welfare organisations, snacks, biscuits, candies, fruits and other essential items are being provided for all the children who do not drink mother's milk.

The sources said that warm clothes, jerseys, caps, jackets and sweaters were also distributed on December 21 to protect children and their mothers from cold while blankets and warm quilts are kept in the barracks of children as per requirement.

A kindergarten school has also been established in the prison where school-going children can study along with sports.

The jail sources said that the barracks for the women having newborns are completely separate from the barracks of general prisoners in the women's wards and the entry of male prison officials is also prohibited.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2022.