Mumbai: The Maharashtra government today
told the Bombay High Court that doctors were unwilling to
serve at prisons in the state.
The High Court is hearing a PIL on lack of treatment
facility for sick prisoners, especially the HIV infected ones.
"It seems that people do not want to work there (in
prisons)," said public prosecutor P A Pol.
Every 15 days, there are walk-in interviews for filling
up the posts of prison medical officers, but there is little
response, he added.
However, Pol could not tell the High Court when the last
advertisement for doctors' posts were issued.
The division bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and
Justice S C Dharmadhikari then directed that advertisements be
issued in all major papers, as well as at the places where
prisons are situated, within a week.
The court also asked secretaries for finance, health and
home departments to meet, and take decisions regarding
provision of infrastructure for prison hospitals.
At present, ailing prisoners are sent to government
hospitals, but a common grievance is that they cannot be
always taken there because prison lacks securitymen for
escorting.
The court also accepted a suggestion that NGOs could be
roped in to provide doctors in the meantime.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 00:07