The medical bills of Chandigarh jail inmates on the rise
5 Apr, 2012An application filed under the RTI Act has revealed that in Chandigarh’s only jail, Model Jail Burail 29,094 prisoners and undertrials have been treated from 2000 to 2011 for their medical ailments. The Burail Jail houses around 650 prisoners and inmates at all times.
The expenses made for the treatment of inmates was Rs 12.65 lakh in 2001-02, which have more than doubled in the year 2010-11 to Rs 25.42 lakh. The total expenses during the last 10 years on the treatment of jail inmates have been over Rs 1.44 crore. This raises questions to find the reasons for the prisoners becoming ‘unhealthy’. Common causes include heart-related problems like coronary artery disease (CAD), eye-related problems, drug-related problems and burns.