Oct. 6, 2009 (The Hindu Business Line) --
Divya Trivedi
Ahmedabad, Oct. 6 Sabarmati Jail has become the first prison in India to own a satellite link for tele-medicine and tele-education centre at its campus. This has been done in collaboration with the Space Applications Centre of ISRO, Apollo Hospitals and Gujarat Vidyapith, Mr Keshav Kumar, Inspector General, Prisons, told Business Line.
The SAC, ISRO has provided a satellite link to the prison department free of cost. The cost of the hardware is approximately Rs 5 lakh while usage charges are Rs 4,000 an hour. If the facility is used for two hours every day, the cost would roughly be at Rs 30,00,000 a year. For the Government as well as for the prison, the savings effected in terms of transportation of inmates for medical emergencies round the year to the hospitals would be significant, said Mr Kumar.
“It is now accepted that health and human rights are inextricably associated. With various diseases becoming urban epidemics, it has become important to address health issues. The right to conditions that are adequate for health and well-being of all has already been recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” he said.
Once admitted to the prison, a prisoner undergoes paradigmatic shift in both his mental and physical conditions, with a change in lifestyle in the new environment.
He tends to suffer with several health challenges including obesity, diabetes, blood pressure, cardiac illnesses, fatigue, back and joint pains, depression, etc. Hence, the need for healthcare and treatment will often be greater in a prison than outside, Mr Kumar explained.
Apollo Hospitals has given technical support and will provide its specialists for treating the jail inmates remotely. The prison already has a diagnostic centre with basic facilities including ECG, ultrasonography (USG) and X-ray.
Vocational skills
The prison will be connected to Gujarat Vidyapith to train inmates in developing their vocational skills through a virtual class room. Distance learning will be made effective and also become a part of reformation of the inmates, he said.
In the past, the prison launched ‘Jail Bhajiya’ where the inmates prepare bhajiyas and sell them through a mobile van in various parts of the city. State Bank of India along with Cox & Kings promoted the initiative. This has become a local brand and plans are afoot take it to other prisons of Gujarat. They also sell bakery items and had a turnover of Rs 1 lakh in a single month.
There is an Amul counter inside the jail premises where inmates can purchase chhaas, ice cream and other dairy items.
This has reduced the intake of tobacco and other addictive substances by inmates substantially, according to a survey.
A mobile van selling comb and other items of daily use of prisoners has started touring inside the campus. These are not just reformative measures, but also security measures and help maintain law and order inside the campus, said Mr Kumar.
