As insurmountable jail walls fail to bar the Covid-19 from infecting the inmates, Punjab Government has virtually decided to go in for their mass testing. Not only the jail inmates, the Government has also decided to test all those arrested for the contagion irrespective of them being symptomatic or asymptomatic.
For the same, the Government has decided to increase the “trained” manpower to conduct the tests and safe packing of the samples. The Government would impart the special training to the health personnel — both medical and paramedical — working with Jails and Police Departments.
“To increase the trained manpower, the Government would impart training to the health personnel, medical and para medical both, working with the Jails and Police Departments for the collection of Covid-19 samples,” said the State Covid Control Room member Rahul Gupta.
Gupta said that the government has also set up the targets for sample collection. “As per the targets, at least 100 police personnel will be tested per district per day, while at least 50 jail inmates will be tested per district every day for the Covid-19,” he said adding that the jail inmates of both special and regular jails will be covered under this initiative.
At the same time, Gupta said that the test would also be conducted of all those arrested, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic. “Test will also be conducted of all those arrested, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, as they are considered to be a high risk group,” he said.
Notably, several instances have came to light where the arrested persons were tested positive and the hordes of police personnel, who came in the contact of the arrestee, have been quarantined and also tested positive. Besides over a dozen jail inmates have also tested positive, despite the all measures of social distancing adopted by the Jails Department.
No less than 200 cops had to go under quarantine, after the accused persons they arrested tested positive. Besides, close to 20 police personnel have also tested positive after coming in contact with the infected persons. There are also instances when the Judge, before whom the accused was present for remand, also has to go under quarantine.
In another instance, two men, facing rape charges in two separate cases, have tested positive for coronavirus in Ludhiana’s Borstal Jail, and the authorities have put under quarantine a police sub-inspector, two assistant sub inspectors and five constables, who came in their contact.
Notably, the State Government has established four special jails in the State to quarantine those arrested in fresh cases to avoid spread of infection from new inmates to those already lodged in the jail. The Government has already set up jails in Barnala and Patti as quarantine centres. Besides, Punjab Police has set up total 78 district quarantine centres, notified by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, for its personnel.
Initially, the State Health and Family Welfare Department’s guidelines had made it mandatory to test all those arrested for the coronavirus before being sent to the jail. However, only recently, the fresh guidelines stated that only the arrested persons “with Covid-19 symptoms” will be tested before being sent to the jail.
Now, the same has again been revised making the RT-PCR test for Covid-19 mandatory of all the arrested people — both symptomatic and asymptomatic, following a meeting between the Principal Secretary (Health) and ADGP (Prisons).
It has been decided that till the time result of the test is awaited, the custody of the arrested person will be the responsibility of police and such persons will not be admitted to any Covid-19 health facility. If tested positive, the arrested person will be managed as per the laid down protocols.