Jails in Andhra are death traps: Rs 132 spent a day on prisoner

U. SUDHAKAR REDDY
On an average, only Rs 132 is spent a day on each prisoner. No wonder cases of inmates dying in the state prisons due to lack of medical facilities is on the rise. In fact, the state is only behind UP and Bihar in terms of prison deaths.
The state prisons, which claim to be the most advanced by the authorities, are turning into death traps with year-on-year increases in mortality rates.
As many as 123 prisoners died last year. Of them, 56 died of heart disease. Relatives of victims and rights groups, allege that prisoners are losing their lives en route to hospitals or in the prison, due to the absence of medical facilities. A delay in providing an escort to a prisoner in need of medical attention, has also lead to fatal consequences.
During the recent visit of the home minister, Ms Sabita Indra Reddy, to the Chanchalguda prison it was revealed that though first aid is given immediately to prisoners, police escorts could not be provided immediately.
The jail officials disagree and instead claim that of 123 cases, 120 prisoners died in government hospitals after being shifted from the prison, and three committed suicide in prison. The state police has expressed its reservations over the claims of the prisons department. A senior IPS official said, “Most of them die in jail, or on the way to hospital. Doctors declare them ‘brought dead to the hospital’.Saying that the deaths occurred in hospitals, is like passing the buck. Whether the death took place in the hospital or jail is not the question. The issue is whether prisoners are dying due to lack of proper medical care. In heart attack cases, the patient should be attended to immediately.
Forensic doctors who conduct autopsies, conveniently conclude that death occurred due to cardiac arrest. The second largest killer in state jails is tuberculosis then lung diseases, multi organ failures and AIDS. A meagre Rs 65 lakh, of the Rs 31 crore budget, is spent on medical facilities for prisoners. On the parametre of number of deaths in prisons, according to the national crime records bureau, Andhra Pradesh is in the dubious company of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Ms Reddy said, “I have been told by officials that there are good health facilities for prisoners. Even outside a jail, it takes time to shift a patient to hospital in an ambulance. There is no negligence on the part of the jail officials.” Central prisons are said to have well equipped medical facilities, with full time medical officers and support staff. Regardless, even more deaths (around 77) are reported from the seven Central prisons.
Officials say there is no restriction on the purchase of medicine for the treatment of prisoners. Recently, the prisons department spent around Rs 4 lakh on the former leader of Janashakti Mr Kura Rajanna.
The outgoing additional inspector general of the prisons department, Mr M.R.Ahmed, said: “Last year, we spent lakhs of rupees on a dialysis patient. He was doing well in jail. After he was released he couldn’t bear the expenses and died within a few months.
Almost, 90 per cent of the time, an escort is provided to prisoners.” At the time of admission all prisoners are medically screened. Those who require special treatment, are referred to outside hospitals.
In a study of jails in the state, the commonwealth Human Rights Initiative found that the director of medical and health services (who is a member of the board of visitors of all the prisons), had never visited a prison in the state. In districts, the medical and health officials rarely visit the jails.
The number of medical officers appointed is well below the levels prescribed by the All-India committee on prison reforms.
The sanctioned strength of medical staff including doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff in the state, is just 130, for around 14,000 prisoners. There are no psychologists or psychiatrists on duty in jails.