PESHAWAR: The health department has been directed to carry out an exercise on postings in prisons across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to bring out tenure and frequency of postings of individual doctors. The practice will be completed within one month.

The decision was taken at a high level meeting with Peshawar High Court Judge Justice Qalandar Ali Khan in the chair. KP health secretary Abid Majeed and IG prisons were also present.

According to an official document of health department, it was decided that the prisons department would also carry out the said exercise based on administrative reports of its jail staff to indicate ‘undesirable elements’ for action by the health department.

Similarly, general improvement of hospitals would be undertaken by the prison department with a view to providing medicines and equipment if required.

The health department would improve prisons’ hospitals to such a standard that specialised visits, or referrals were only required in very rare cases, saving on transport and other charges as well as ensuring security.

The health department would provide standard ‘estimated’ medicine usage list with quantities to prisons department to avoid misuse of particular medicines.

It was decided that both health and prison departments would jointly determine exact frequency of visit of a specialist if required. The prisons department would computerise the referrals from prisons to medical-legal ward at police and services hospital and further to tertiary care.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2017