Panaji: The inspector general of prisons (IGPs), Venancio Furtado has written to the state government for conducting vaccination of the inmates housed at the Central Jail, Colvale.
Furtado stated that they preferably want the inoculation to be carried out within the jail premises as transferring prisoners to the vaccination site outside the prison would be difficult and fraught with risk.
The jail has about 500 prisoners, including several foreign convicts. Over the past one and one and a-half-year, there have been at least four incidents of prisoners escaping from the prison. Having a vaccination camp inside the prison will best serve their interests, said jail authorities.
“We are waiting to hear from the government. A vaccination camp can be held in the jail,” said Furtado.
With regards to convicts of foreign nationalities, Furtado said that they will be inoculated as per their wish as vaccination is voluntary.
The IGP said they have not reported any Covid-19 cases in the jail premises in recent months. Authorities have been taking all precautions for the safety of staff and inmates. There is an isolation ward created in the prison, and whenever a new inmate - either a convict or undertrial – is referred to the jail, that person is kept in that ward for a few days as a precaution.