Ensure jails have correct medical services: HC tells DG Prisons

By Express News Service

CUTTACK:  Medical services in jails throughout Odisha have come below the scrutiny of the Orissa HC following the submission of reviews by the district authorized service authorities (DLSAs). The DLSA authorities revisited jails of their respective districts on April 30 and May 1.

After analysing the reviews of the secretaries of DLSAs, Amicus Curiae Gautam Mishra had positioned a comfort observe earlier than the court docket. Taking observe of it, the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice RK Pattanaik has ordered for filling up all vacant posts of medical officers in jails throughout the State.
The State Counsel submitted that the Home division had already issued a letter on March 29, 2022 for creating posts of 18 common medical officers in several jails.

However, the bench noticed, “The Director-General of Prisons will have to take personal effort to ensure filling up of all the vacant posts at the earliest.” In his observe, the Amicus Curiae had identified that as many as 16 sub-jails want appreciable enchancment as regards the medical services obtainable. The deficiencies are both because of the absence of a full-time medical officer inside the jail premises or inadequate hospital beds in proportion to the jail inhabitants.

Likewise, psychological well being skilled care and services are usually not obtainable within the district jail Angul, sub-jail Balliguda and sub-jail G. Udayagiri. The visits of psychiatrists and counsellors to the sub-jail at R. Udayagiri is said to be very irregular. 

The sub-jails at Dasapalla, Ranpur and Khandapara should rely upon outdoors hospitals for psychological well being care assist, the Amicus Curiae stated. The State Counsel additionally submitted that on May 4, 2022 directions had been issued on this regard to the chief district medical officers at Balasore, Kandhamal and Kendrapara for taking applicable motion. The bench noticed that “similar instructions are required to be issued to other jails and sub-jails as well.”