BHUBANESWAR: A special dietary plan with nutrition as its highlight and monthly health checkups are in the offing for elderly prisoners lodged in various jails of the state.
A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting between the department of Social Justice & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) and Directorate of Prisons that was held recently.
According to reports of the directorate under the Home department, there are at least 500 elderly prisoners lodged in different jails of the state. There are seven circle jails, 17 district jails, six special jails, two special sub-jails, 53 sub-jails, one each women jail and open air jail. While circle jails have medical officers to look after the health issues of inmates, there is no specific dietary plan for the elderly prisoners as the provision of food is equal for all.
With the elderly inmates needing special food plan, healthcare and psychological counselling, Home department officials opined that special arrangement for health and food for such prisoners be taken up in convergence with the Health and Family Welfare department.
The officials have decided to approach the Health department to provide a special dietary chart for the elderly prisoners with additional nutritional plan and develop an SOP for providing healthcare services such as regular visit of a medical team including a psychiatrist at least once every month for health checkup and counselling of the elderly prisoners in jails. The Home department will follow the recommended dietary plan and healthcare services for the prisoners.
It was decided that the additional cost towards the special diet and healthcare service for such prisoners can be borne by the SSEPD department, which will release the funds to the Directorate of Prisons annually. With the state government working on a draft senior citizen policy with the help of UNFPA, the latter will include the health aspect of elderly prisoners in the draft policy.
The decisions come in the wake of a directive by the Minister of Home Affairs. On July 1 this year, the ministry had written to chief secretaries, DG/IG of prisons and correctional services in all states, to pay special attention to the needs of elderly prisoners. It had asked the states to make suitable provisions for special and accessible accommodation in prisons and correctional homes for elderly prisoners, in view of their physical limitations.