RAWALPINDI, Oct 24: Sick prisoners of Adiyala Jail are grossly mistreated by doctors and paramedics at the jail hospital, inmates have complained in letters to Dawn.

Outside doctors, who get the serious cases referred to them in various city hospitals, have confirmed on being contacted that the prisoners were not provided a proper medical cover at the jail. They said they had come to know through their interaction with the prisoners that unethical practices were common at the jail hospital.

The doctors said that during their several visits to the jail for examining their patients, they had also learnt that the criteria for admission to the jail hospital was not in conformity with the universally accepted medical norms. It has been commonly observed that only the “privileged” prisoners get the proper medical attention at the jail, one of them remarked.

They remarked that the jails doctors had become too ruthless to be called medical professionals. “We can’t say if it is the workload or something else that compels them to behave in such an unprofessional manner,” a doctor commented.

The jail doctors, it has been learnt through correspondence with prisoners, are responsible for looking after the jail sanitation, dietetics and the general health of prisoners. Unfortunately, the prisoners alleged, the doctors do everything but their duty.

Doctors who have had the experience of serving at the jail, said no medical professional could remain posted at the jail hospital for more then a couple of months without fulfilling the demands of other officials. They alleged that whatever was happening at the jail hospital was a result of the connivance of its staff with the jail authorities.

Prisoners have sent separate applications to home secretary and the district support team against jail superintendent, deputy superintendent and jail doctor. The prisoners, in their applications, have accused the officials of demanding illegal gratification in return for medical treatment and have asked for an inquiry into the affairs of the jail hospital.

Asked about the cases they had received from the jail hospital, the city doctors said, the poor patients were only referred to them when they had no chance of survival left and the jail authorities would not want them to die at the jail.

At the same time, they said, there were certain privileged prisoners who were referred to them even without any valid reason. Extensive medical tests of such patients are recommended by the jail doctors, who also seem to have briefed them on how to respond to our questioning. That helps them to stay put in the hospital for a few days, the doctors added.

On the other hand, the poor patients, who somehow manage to get referred to city hospitals, are not provided a proper follow- up treatment due to which their condition worsens, prisoners have said in their letters. They cited cases where deaths had resulted from improper follow-ups at the jail hospital.

Doctors at the outside hospitals, where those cases were treated, said that it was not possible for them to confirm or deny if any death had resulted due to an improper follow-up to their treatment. The prisoners further alleged that at least six patients had died at the jail during the past three months, attributing the deaths to the negligence of doctors. However, the allegation could not be confirmed by Dawn through independent sources due to the non-availability of the relevant record.

The letters further accused the officials at the jail hospital of pilfering the medicines. Outside doctors confirmed the shortage of medicines at the jail hospital. “Pilferage is done even in major city hospitals and there is a possibility that it also happens at the jail hospital,” a doctor said.

Tuberculosis, outside doctors at city hospitals revealed, was very common in the jail.

It was further learnt that some doctors of Samli Sanatorium had tried to treat the TB prisoners of Adiyala Jail but were not allowed to do so.

The prisoners alleged that they were punished if they complained of the laxity of doctors.