KARACHI, June 9: The Sindh government has constituted a medical board to examine an ailing foreign woman inmate and to determine whether her sentence should be remitted and the prisoner be repatriated to her country on humanitarian grounds.

The female prisoner identified as Panada Sommut, a Thai citizen, was diagnosed with some renal problem after which the jail authorities, keeping in view her health conditions, contacted the relevant authorities to look into the matter.

The 21-year-old female was caught trying to smuggle heroin in December 2006 and was sent to the Special Prison for Women in the city.

A case (FIR 63 /2006) was registered against the Thai citizen by the Customs police station and subsequently, she was sentenced to 40 months in jail and a fine of Rs50,000 was also imposed on her.

Responding to Dawn’s queries, the superintendent of the Women Prison, Sheeba Shah, said that a few days back Ms Sommut fell ill and was provided with necessary medical attention at the jail hospital, then she was taken to the Civil Hospital where she was diagnosed with some kidney ailment.

Later, the jail chief said, the prisoner was shifted to the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) where after various medical tests it was revealed that the Thai woman was suffering from Nephrotic syndrome (focal segmental glomerular scierosis).

Talking to Dawn, Sindh IG Prisons Yamin Khan said that keeping in view Ms Sommut’s deteriorating health, his department had had approached the provincial authorities for a slash in her sentence.

Giving an update on the case, Sheeba Shah said that the government had established a medical board to evaluate the health conditions of the prisoner and after the evaluation report of the board; the government would take a decision in this regard.

However, the date for the medical examination of the inmate had not been decided as yet, she said.