Overcrowding, lack of proper medical care and unhygienic conditions in the Adiala Jail Rawalpindi is causing different diseases among inmates.
In spite of having a capacity of 1,800 prisoners, at present it accommodates 5,621 people, including 227 women and 810 children as overcrowding is a major cause of spreading the diseases among the inmates.
According to a survey of the jail conducted by Business Recorder, 24 prisoners died during last year overall of which five committed suicide, six had meningitis, four were suffering from tuberculosis, five from Hepatitis, one each died due to high fever, cardiac failure and negligence at the part of jail administration.
No proper medical system was found in the jail hospital and lack of medicines and proper equipment is major cause of rise in diseases.
Inmates have expressed their concern over lack of medical facilities and said that the jail administration whenever asked about medical facilities had threatened of dire consequences.
They said that as summer arrived the situation would become worst. The diseases could be controlled and death rate could be reduced by improving quality of food and sanitation and reducing jail population.
At present 43 prisoners are suffering from Asthma, 80 from tuberculosis, 26 from meningitis, 1,473 from scabies and 64 from Hepatitis.
Jails in Punjab earned a handsome amount of Rs 29.2 million annually through sale of products made by prisoners, but a very little portion of this amount was being utilised to improve their living conditions and healthcare facilities, sources said.
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