Health services are almost absent in the jails across the country as only two doctors are posted against 141 vacant posts to attend 70,000 inmates in the 69 jails.
As many as 53 jails do not have any ambulance to transport seriously ill inmates to health facilities in case of emergencies.
Of the two doctors, one was found posted to Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj while the other was lying with the Prisons Directorate waiting to be posted to a jail on Thursday, according to jail officials.
In the past two months, 411 prisoners took treatment in hospitals outside their jails -- 190 in February and 221 in March, officials said.
Some 70,000 prisoners were found living in all the jails across the country as of Thursday against the capacity of 42,000, according to officials.聽
Acknowledging the lack of health services in jails, Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General Syed Md Motaher Hossain told 抖阴精品 on Thursday that they took support from Civil Surgeon offices for some jails, which was far from adequate as prisons with 99 vacant posts for doctors did not get alternative supports from civil surgeon offices.
鈥榃e have repeatedly sought doctors from the health ministry, but are yet to get a response from it,鈥� said the IG Prisons, adding that he also met with the health adviser in this regard but in vain.
Directorate General of Health Services director general Professor Md Abu Jafor, however, claimed that requisite doctors would be provided by the home ministry.
鈥榃e have been giving support to jail authorities on request either from civil聽 surgeon offices or from upazila health complexes,鈥� he said.
DGHS chief Jafor, too, said they are also struggling with the shortage of doctors in ensuring the overall health services in the country.
Rights activists noted that the state must provide health, security, and food facilities properly as the prisoners do not have personal freedom.
Rights activists further said the denial of adequate health services to prison inmates is a violation of fundamental rights of citizens -- either convicted or on trial.
鈥楾he number of doctors for the prisoners is shocking. It is the duty of the state to ensure fundamental rights of the prisoners,鈥� said Supreme Court senior lawyer Sara Hossain, also a rights activist.
She said although the interim government has taken over the administration recently, it should address the issue of health services for prisoners at the earliest.聽聽
On January 29, 2020, the High Court, against a writ petition, ordered the authorities concerned to recruit 117 physicians for the vacant posts in jail hospitals across the country as soon as possible.
The bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order and asked the DGHS DG to submit a progress report within a month.
Advocate JR Khan Robin, who filed the writ petition, said that there were 141 posts of physician at the jail hospitals around the country, claiming 117 of the posts were vacant at the time.聽
On January 17, 2023, the High Court summoned then DGHS chief Abul Bashar Mohammed Khurshid Alam to appear before it on January 24 for not deputing physicians to fill in vacancies at jails after the HC directed the DG four years ago to do so.
Prisons officials said only 16 jails out of the 69 across the country have ambulance services.
The jails having ambulances are Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj, Kashimpur High Security Central Jail, Kashimpur Central Jail-1, Kashimpur Central Jail-2, Kashimpur female鈥檚 Central Jail in Gazipur, district jails in Faridpur, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Chattogram, Cumilla, Cox鈥檚 Bazar, Sylhet, Jashore, Barishal and Khulna, they said.
They noted that many prisons had to rent private ambulances, pickups, and rickshaw vans to take prisoners to hospitals outside jails.
Asked about the shortage of ambulances, IG Prisons said that they had sought 91 ambulances from the finance ministry in 2017.
鈥榃e sent a revised project proposal for 47 ambulances to the finance ministry three months ago as the ministry told us that there was a shortage of fund,鈥� Motaher explained.
Rights activist Nur Khan Liton observed that neglecting health services for prisoners, too, raised questions about the advancement of the country鈥檚 democratic journey.
鈥業t is unfortunate that the state can鈥檛 provide even the minimum health facilities for the prisoners. In many cases, prisoners鈥� relatives have to arrange ambulances for prisoners,鈥� he added.
