Health ministry should look into healthcare of prisoners

Despite there being 141 approved posts for physicians in the country’s 68 prisons and one 200-bed hospital, there are only nine physicians working in there. The remaining the posts have been vacant for years. Until 22 December, there were 89,910 inmates in different prisons against the capacity of 40,664. That means, for every 10,000 prisoners, there is only one physician. It is very obvious that one physician cannot take care of such a huge number alone.

The authorities remain inert regarding the crisis of physicians in prisons even after a number of reports were published in multiple news media including Prothom Alo.

There was dual system of government during the British colonial period in Indian subcontinent. The British are long gone, but the dual system remains.

According to the prison act, the jail authorities cannot appoint physicians. They have to inform the security service division of the home ministry in this regard.

The home ministry will then write to the health ministry. Only if the health ministry approves, will the jail authorities get the physicians as needed. If not, the prisoners will be deprived of medical care, no matter how severe their illnesses may be.

The issue regardng the crisis of physicians has not remained restricted to letters being exchanged by these two ministries. The matter has been referred to the High Court. As the home ministry pressed the authorities, the department of health has appointed 20 physicians for various jails. But only four of them joined in the prisons. Others have refrained from joining on various excuses. According to media reports, some of these reluctant physicians are on study leave. The question is, has the health department actively taken up the matter of their appointments?

In response to the High Court's notice to show cause why the 16 physicians did not join the posts, the health ministry said they were not aware of the matter and they would have taken necessary steps if it were known. The home minister was surprised by the response of the health ministry. The home ministry alleged that the health ministry and the health care department did not provide correct information to the court.

A total of 24 letters have been sent to the health care department to appoint physicians. The home ministry wanted to know why the matter was denied.

We feel the indifference and false statements of the health ministry and the health department about the appointment of physicians in prison are deplorable. The High Court has directed the health department to inform the authorities by 27 January about the appointment of physicians in the prisons.

Unlike the general people, the treatment of inmates depends on the authorities entirely. A number of news reports on the severe health problems of the inmates, even deaths due to lack of treatment, appeared in the media several times. Depriving the prisoners of medical care, whether sentenced or not, is a violation of human rights. Criminal have a right medical treatment jast as anyone else.

If necessary, the prison authorities should be given the power of appointing physicians. That would be better than the dual system of government.