Bangladesh News

As few as 16 doctors are on hand to treat about 86,000 inmates in the country’s 67 jails if they fall sick and are committed to prison hospitals.

None of the prisons and jail hospitals has a single nurse. If required, some of the convicts sentenced to rigorous imprisonment are randomly assigned as nurses for the patients’ care.

Sources said the Dhaka Central Jail hospital has three doctors, while 13 others are posted at different central jail hospitals. As many as 53 jails have no doctors at all, leave alone hospitals.

The sources added that the 67 jails now have prisoners over three times high their capacity to accommodate 27,000 inmates. The Dhaka Central Jail has about 9,500 prisoners against its capacity of 2,682.

There are 77 posts of doctors at jails for 27,000 prisoners. But since the number of prisoners is always such high, there should be more than 230 doctors for them.

The sources said despite the severe crisis, the doctors posted at different jails do not prefer to stay there. As they are deputed to the home from the health ministry, they miss the opportunity of going abroad, outdoor private practice and posting at desired stations.

Speaking anonymously, a doctor from Barisal Medical College Hospital said: “I don’t want to go there. If one is posted to the jail hospital, it is really tough for him to get out.”

Dr Rafiq Ahmmed of Dhaka Central Jail told The Daily Star: “Doctors don’t want to come here as we don’t get any incentive, deputation allowances and ration. Besides, the jail code allows us non-practicing allowances, but we get none.”

On nurses, he said: “We sometimes train up some prisoners for doing primary medicare.”

The Tihar jail in India is a model prison, which has at least 74 doctors for 14,000 inmates, whereas in Bangladesh there are only 77 posts for over 86 thousand prisoners, he added.

Additional Inspector General of Police (Prisons) Col Md Ashraful Islam Khan, who is also a doctor, told The Daily Star: “The jails need more doctors and hospital arrangements as most of the prisoners are either physically or mentally sick. They are vulnerable to diseases due to mental pressure, lack of proper food and various other reasons.”

Col Ashraful, also in-charge of the jail administration, added: “The doctors don’t get ration, incentives, deputation allowances, earmarked residences and other facilities. If the facilities are not increased, their number may further decrease.”

He however said they have submitted proposals to the home ministry, which is carrying out an enquiry into it.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG-Prisons) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddique said: “The hospitals without doctors have paramedics, while the jails which have no hospitals have single rooms for sick prisoners.”

Inspector General of Police (Prisons) Brig Gen Zakir Hassan said: “It’s really tough to bring the doctors on deputation. Of the 16 existing doctors, five have already applied for transfer.

“We have submitted a proposal to the government to appoint the required doctors, increase the numbers of posts and enhance treatment facilities. But it seems that it would take not less than five years.

“The TOE [table of organisation and equipment] does not include nurses so there is no possibility to appoint any. So, nursing would be carried out by the convicts as usual.”

The sources said the Dhaka jail has a 172-bed hospital always crowed with 250-300 sick prisoners.

They added that many of the prisoners get hospitalised to enjoy better facilities and pay the doctor concerned and some jail officials to that end.

The high-profile prisoners receive treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) prison cells. Showing the cause of inadequate treatment facilities, at present 15 detained bigwigs are staying at the BSMMU.

A number of other bigwigs have also been admitted to different private and posh hospitals at their own cost.

Detained Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil is now undergoing treatment at private Labaid Hospital. BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury was admitted to Birdem and Mirza Abbas to Apollo Hospitals.