Bhubaneswar: The prisons across Odisha are turning out to be breeding grounds of Covid-19 infections slowly. It is happening because of overcrowding of the jails and lack of healthcare amenities.
As per the data provided by the Prisons Directorate, a total of 816 inmates have tested Covid-19 positive in May. The cases have been reported from 33 of the 87 prisons in Odisha.
Prison authorities also informed that 420 inmates out of those who had tested positive have already recovered till May 26. The rest of the infected are undergoing treatment in quarantine centres of the prisons. Those who are turning critical are being admitted to various Covid care hospitals in the state.
The directorate claimed that several precautionary measures have been taken at the prisons to prevent the spread of the virus. Sixty two sub-prisons have been provided `15,000 each for procurement of medicines and Covid-19 prevention kits. The district and special jails have been given `25,000 each for the same purpose.
Following the intervention of a high-powered committee (HPC), 658 inmates have been shifted from over-congested prisons to other jails with lesser number of prisoners after taking permission from the respective courts.
A total of 18,580 prisoners are lodged in various prisons against the schedule capacity of 19,824. The total prisoner population in Odisha was 20,150 May 1.
