Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The mortality rate among the prisoners serving jail term for a longer period in Madhya Pradesh is only 25% in terms of national average.
Disciplined life style is the key to their good health and longevity, the jail officials said. More than 50,000 such prisoners have been lodged in various jails in the state.
The national average of mortality rate among the prisoners is 9.1% last year; whereas only 2.56% of jail inmates died in the state jails.
The officials claim that if a prisoner falls ill in any jail, they immediately take the patient to a hospital, and it is one of the reasons, which has reduced the mortality rate among the jail inmates.
Apart from that, healthy living conditions, proper diet and physical exercises are the reasons for the prisoners’ longevity, the officials said.
The motto of the MP jails is “Roti, Kapda aur Makan and medical facility.”
Physical activity for 30 minutes a day.
The prisoners get up at the cockcrow. After certain physical activities, they get breakfast at 7am. The officials begin to serve lunch from 10:30am. It continues till the afternoon.
The quantity of food they get is enough to give nutrition to the body. The food consists of sugar 20 grams, oil 25 grams, spices-10 grams, milk 60ml, pulses 115 grams, vegetables 235 grams, wheat 465 grams and rice 552 grams.
Number of inmates died
In 2018, 144 prisoners died in the jail. In 2019, the number of deaths was 158. In 2020, 138 jail inmates died. In 2021, the number was 161. Last year, 128 inmates died.
Officials said that the death of a prisoner is not a common issue, because three agencies inquire into each death.
A judicial magistrate, the MP Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) inquire each death separately.
Last year, the department of jails had to pay a compensation of Rs 50 lakh in 13 cases of death on the recommendations of MPHRC. Consequently, action was taken against a few officials for their carelessness.
Medical facility
An ailing patient is sent to the hospital that functions on the prison premises. Then the jailor sends the patient to community health centre. If needed, the patient concerned is sent to the district hospital, officials said, adding given the condition, the patient is sent to a medical college.
Depending on the condition, the patients are also sent to AIIMS Delhi, Tata memorial and KEN hospital, Mumbai. More than 250 patients were referred to those health centres last year.
