‘Prisons face lack of facilities’

Islamabad: The commission of reforms in prisons reported lack of basic facilities in jails with shortage of proper medical facilities, ambulances and other equipment for emergency in prison's hospitals.

Punjab prison department showed10 per cent of the prisons had shortage of ambulances said a report issued by Ministry of Human Rights on the Reforms of Prisoners.

Balochistan prison authorities shared that they have only one ambulance for the entire province, the report said.

The commission said approximately 200 prisoners were unable to receive medical assistance due to lack of ambulances in prisons in Sindh.

Furthermore, visits to jails also revealed that no oxygen cylinders or other equipment for emergency cases were available in jail's hospitals.

Although all the district and central prisons across Pakistan have hospitals, the problem highlighted by the prison departments is a lack of adequate provision of medical and technical equipment such as ECG, X-Ray and ultrasound machines, oxygen cylinders, dental units, laboratories and beds in these prison hospitals.