‘Prisoners across J’khand to get immunity boosting tablets’

Ranchi: Jails across Jharkhand will now implement a set of fresh standard operating procedures for ensuring that social distancing norms are maintained among the prisoners and the jail staff and for boosting the immunity of the prisoners, said inspector general (IG) Birendra Bhushan on Wednesday.
The new guidelines come a day after 54 prisoners, including former state ministers Enos Ekka and Raja Peter, and jail staff at Birsa Munda Central jail Ranchi tested positive for Covid-19.
On Wednesday, the jail administration held a meeting, under the supervision of the IG, and decided that there should be no inter-change of duties between staffs deployed outside and inside the jails.
The IG said, “It will be a type of lockdown in jails where the staffs deployed inside will not go outside and vice versa till further notice.”
Sources said that the staffs posted inside the jail will live in their barracks and quarters connected to jail premises and they will not venture out.
The IG further said that the administration will also provide Vitamin C tablets to boost the immunity of prisoners in all the jails across Jharkhand. The inmates will also be served items like lemon tea, lemon water, eggs, among others, to boost their immunity.
He added that the prisoners would now be allotted tokens for using the telephone booths. “Not more than five people would be allowed to gather near one booth and all of them will maintain social distancing among one another,” he said.
Meanwhile, all the Covid affected prisoners in Birsa Munda jail have been isolated inside the jail premises and are being treated by the jail doctors. A request has been made to the district administration to admit them in hospitals under tight security arrangements.