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Women suffer at Adiala Jail: No female doctor, paramedics for 180 prisoners

* Aspirin, Dispirin, Bruffen and Paracetamol tablets are given to inmates regardless of their medical condition

By Imran Asghar

RAWALPINDI: Lack of female doctors and paramedics at Adiala Jail hospital is exposing the women inmates to serious health problems, as they avoid being examined by male doctors.

Daily Times has learnt that there’re around 180 women inmates at the jail facing different health problems but they could not pluck up the courage to discuss their problems with male doctors and continue to live with their problems, which sometimes become incurable.

The sources said that the male staff of the jail paid no heed to the inmates’ health problems and forced them to consult male doctors. They said since women could not discuss their history with the male doctors, they could not diagnose their problems and prescribed such medicines, which sometimes aggravate their health problems.

They further said that Aspirin, Dispirin, Bruffen and Paracetamol tablets were being given to inmates no matter whatever the disease. Poor and resourceless inmates are suffering the most. The inmates have lodged several complaints with the jail authorities inviting their attention to their plight but all their entreaties have fallen on deaf ears. The sources said that several ministers and high-profile personalities had visited the jail last month to apprise themselves of the problems of inmates but they could not provide them any relief.

The sources said that inexperienced and less-equipped Lady Health Visitors (LHVs) appointed by the government visited the jail once a week without providing any relief to the inmates.

The situation becomes worst when an inmate complains of some serious problem at night.

The male jail staff sometimes pay a blind eye to the patient’s suffering and sometimes take her to hospital after much delay. A serious patient has to pass through the monotonous process of identification before leaving the jail. Jail superintendent Tariq Babar said that a lady doctor would soon join the jail hospital. He said two LHVs appointed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan daily visited the jail to provide “proper” health facilities to 180 inmates.

Babar said that the lady doctor had already been appointed but she was yet to join the hospital. He said the jail authority was “committed” to providing proper health facilities to the inmates. He also claimed that an ailing patient requiring immediate treatment was quickly shifted to the hospital.

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