Odisha’s Directorate of Prisons and Correctional Services sought to supply Dove or Patanjali soap for prisoners after a team of doctors found the currently used ‘Margo’ as causing dryness and itching.
“There is provision of providing Margo soap to jail inmates for bathing purpose in jails, according to Rule-944 (10) of Odisha Model Jail Manual. But it was found that Margo soap which has been used by jail inmates was causing dryness, itching and other skin-related problems as it is highly acidic in nature,” Deputy Inspector General of Prisons said in a letter to State Home department.
A team of doctors of jails has recommended for use of ‘Dove’ or ‘Patanjali’ soap instead of Margo soap, which are less acidic in nature, the DIG said.
The Home Department was urged to approve proposal of using the ‘Dove’ or ‘Patanjali’ of 25 gram each fortnightly for each prisoner instead of one Margo soap (big cake) per month.
Beds and pillows should be changed in periodic manner to avoid infections and a dedicated laundry facility should be provided to the jail hospitals.
The doctors’ team recommended routine pathological and biochemical check-up facilities for inmates, for which a dedicated pathological laboratory should be attached, and the laboratories should have adequate laboratory technicians. Moreover, advanced machineries should be facilitated for instant routine investigation.
Doctors also said jail inmates were highly stressed and more vulnerable to diseases such as hypertension and chronic diabetes.
The team of doctors also mooted proposal for creating jail outposts in medical college hospitals as escorting staffs often get confused about wards where prisoners should be admitted to and official formalities to be followed.
Creation of jail outposts would help reduce difficulties as deployed staff would have a fair bit of knowledge about the functioning of medical college hospital and multispecialty centres.
