December 05, 2006	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 13, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 4: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Punjab jail authorities to ensure better health facilities to the inmates and equip jail hospitals with essential diagnostic equipment.

Led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, a three- member bench disposed of a complaint moved by the heirs of Jam Mohammad Ramzan, who died of cardiac arrest after being shifted to hospital inside the Central Jail Lahore on the advice of a cardiologist.

“We are disposing of the matter with an observation that the provincial jail authorities should take necessary steps for providing better health facilities to the prisoners and, subject to availability of funds, procure necessary equipment for the jail hospitals,” the court said.

Referring to the report of Inspector-General Prisons Mufti Sarfraz on the incident, the bench noted that the death of the prisoner was not natural.

Advocate General Punjab Chaudhry Aftab Iqbal told the court that the brother, nephew and a cousin of the patient, who also attended the court proceedings, had declined an offer to conduct autopsy on the deceased.

During the last hearing, the court had directed the Punjab prisons police to investigate as to why the prisoner was not shifted to a hospital outside the jail and taken to the ill- equipped jail health facility.

During the last hearing, the acting IG had conceded that except for oxygen, no arrangement was available in the jail hospital.

He had also stated that the patient had already gone through angioplasty procedure and whenever needed was referred to the doctor for follow-up check ups.

However, the senior cardiologist failed to notice any cardiac problem and declared him stable.

Later, the IG prisons told the press that the Punjab government had enhanced the annual prisoners’ medical budget to Rs25 million. Earlier, only 50 paisa a day was earmarked for each prisoner’s health care. Now it has been increased to Rs2 per day.

Moreover, the government was also buying 16 ambulances for 32 jails in the province besides improving diagnostic laboratories, he said, adding the food budget for jails had also been doubled to Rs400 million per year.

Ten more jails are being established in different districts while two special women jails have been approved for Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.

Explaining as to why a woman jail was being established in Rawalpindi, he said this would help in providing better consular services to a majority of foreign female inmates.

Already every jail has a separate women jail for which nine lady superintendents have been appointed.