Soon, prisoners won’t have to leave jail for treatment in Maharashtra

Mumbai: In a first of its kind initiative, prisoners across Maharashtra will now be getting treated inside the jail by the specialist doctors from corporate hospitals which come under the Charity Commission. A senior official said that with this initiative, prisoners won’t have to go out of the jail to get medical treatment and it will also reduce the burden on jail doctors.

“On a daily basis around 50 inmates from major jails in and around Mumbai are taken to the government hospitals for treatment accompanied by police. This often increases the burden on the already short-staffed hospitals and this also delays their treatment. So, by the end of March, these inmates would be treated by specialist doctors from over 400 corporate hospitals across the state,” said official.

As per the data 74 charitable corporate hospitals like Jaslok, Nanavati, Lilavati, Hinduja, Wockhardt and others. Across Maharashtra, there are over 400 such hospitals who would be liable to provide facilities. In the state there are 54 jails that have over 30,000 inmates.

“Under charity commission, corporate hospitals are supposed to provide 25 per cent of their resources for the treatment of patients from below poverty line patients and other special cases. So, we have asked all the registered charity hospitals to provide treatment to prisoners on out-door basis under the same reserved quota,” said Shivkumar Dige, Charity Commissioner.

He added soon they will issue the circular to all the hospitals and facility will start by the end of March. “It will help inmates get treated timely and do not have to wait for their turn for long. We have also called the members of hospital association to discuss on this initiative and implement it immediately,” added Dige.

The Additional Director General of prisons BK Upadhyay said with this initiative they can organise more numbers health came inside the jail and will also reduce burden. “I have been already informed about the new initiative which is an extremely encouraging for the better treatment of inmates. We can summon doctors from these hospitals not only during medical emergency cases but also for holding health camps,” said Upadhyay.

The decision to call these doctors from corporate hospitals would rely on the jail authorities. If any inmate complains of health issues, then they need to inform the concerned jail authority who would decide if he needs to be taken to any government-run hospitals or they would specialists from these hospitals.