BAJAUR: Additional deputy commissioner Zameen Khan Momand has directed the district health officer to immediately appoint a doctor to the Bajaur’s main jail for check up of the ailing prisoners on a regular basis.

He also ordered the social welfare department to arrange informal education and skill learning facilities for the inmates.

He was talking to the jail management during a visit to the prison along with the members of the district supervision committee for prison, which has been constituted by the district administration to suggest measures for bringing about reforms in the facility, according to a statement.

The officials expressed dissatisfaction over the unhygienic conditions and overcrowding of the barracks.

The committee members also talked to the prisoners about their issues.

Mr Momand said legal assistance would be provided to the vulnerable prisoners, and the inmates arrested in minor offences would be released.

The statement said the visit of the committee members was in line with the district administration’s plan to bring “meaningful reforms” in the main jail in order to provide basic facilities to the inmates.

Besides improving the quality of food given to the prisoners, arranging regular visit of doctor and launch of non-formal and technical educational facilities for inmates are also the proposed reforms.

NO SHORTAGE OF VACCINE: The local authorities on Monday said there was no shortage of Covid-19 vaccine in the Bajaur tribal district and asked the residents to get inoculated without delay.

A reasonable stock of Covid-19 vaccine is available with the local health department for general public while more vaccine doses are likely to reach the district in two days, according to a statement issued by the district administration.

The tehsil municipal administration has also launched an awareness campaign regarding vaccination by installing motivational posters at public places.

However, people complained about the shortage of vaccine at the inoculation centres. They said they had regularly been visiting the vaccination centres for last three days, but returned without getting vaccinated due to shortage of stock.

They pointed out that the authorities had fixed the vaccination timings from 8am to 10pm, but most of the centres were usually closed even before 5pm.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2021