Shortage of docs, nurses in Bhopal Central Jail: Pragya Thakur

New Delhi: Controversial Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Bhopal Pragya Thakur on Friday raised the issue of lack of medical care and doctors for prisoners, especially women prisoners incarcerated with children in Bhopal jail, during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha.

Seeking urgent availability of female doctors, nurses and nutritional food for children in Bhopal jail, Ms Thakur, who said that she lives in Bhopal and has even stayed in the city’s jail, alleged that anyone can be sent to jail as the state government can incarcerate anybody.

The Bhopal MP said that doctors never visit Bhopal jail, which has more than 3,000 male prisoners and around 150 women prisoners who are staying there with 20-odd children.

“There is no arrangement for doctors in the jail, and if children fall ill, the situation worsens but doctors are not available. Even nurses are not available for female prisoners. Children are not getting proper nutritional food. I request through the Speaker that law should be followed there, female doctors should visit the jail and children should be paid special attention and care,” Ms Thakur said.

Criticising the Madhya Pradesh (the ruling Congress-led dispensation) government, the Member of Parliament alleged that it can send anybody to jail and if any prisoner comes to jail from court, he is brutally beaten and no norms are followed.