Mumbai: Following the escape of alleged drug trafficker, Lalit Patil, from Pune's Sassoon General Hospital, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif has ordered to form an expert committee to regulate prolonged hospital stays of prisoners.
Patil spent more than a year in hospital and one of his aides was arrested near Sassoon with mephedrone valued at ₹2.14 crore.
Committee of experts being formed
“We have learnt that there are no clear instructions regarding hospitalisations for inmates. So a committee of experts is being formed and soon a meeting will be held to discuss formulation of rules or guidelines in this regard,” said Mushrif.
A senior official from the state health department said that concrete rules are needed to avoid allegations that prisoners are hospitalised for a long duration, at times, without reason. “When an inmate is admitted for treatment, it increases extra workload and pressure. We don't know what is the prisoner's mental condition and how long he should be kept at the hospital as the medical unit head is authorised to give green signal,” he explained.
23 hospitals affiliated to medical colleges in Maharashtra
Separate wards have been set up at all hospitals for treating prisoners, but main accused in forensic cases can be only admitted to medical institutions attached to medical colleges. Currently, there are 23 hospitals affiliated to medical colleges in the state.
If a prisoner has health complaints then the person is sent to a government hospital for examination. If there is a need for hospitalisation, permission must be sought from the hospital's unit head.
