The Jharkhand High Court has taken a stern view of the “dire shortage” of medical professionals within the state’s prison system, instituting a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) following the tragic death of an inmate who lacked access to proper renal treatment.
The intervention comes after a Division Bench discovered a staggering vacancy rate in the prison department’s medical wing. During a hearing on Thursday, the court was informed that out of 43 sanctioned posts for doctors across Jharkhand’s jails, 42 remain vacant, leaving only one occupied post to serve the entire state’s incarcerated population.
The gravity of the situation was brought to light during the hearing of a criminal appeal filed by an inmate suffering from severe renal complications. The appellant had moved the court seeking a suspension of his sentence and release on bail to seek urgent medical treatment at a private facility, citing insufficient medical infrastructure within the prison.
While the state government had previously requested an adjournment to file its reply to the petition, the court was informed on Thursday that the inmate had passed away in custody due to the lack of timely and adequate medical intervention.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad expressed serious concern over the collapse of medical services in the state’s correctional facilities. Beyond the vacancy of doctors, the court was informed that the general medical infrastructure and facilities across the jails are significantly deficient.
Jharkhand currently operates a network of 28 jail facilities, including:
- Six Central Jails: Located in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Hazaribag, Deoghar, Dumka, and Giridih.
- 16 District Jails and six Sub-Jails, including facilities in Palamu and Simdega.
Recognizing that the shortage of 42 out of 43 doctors constitutes a systemic failure, the Bench registered the matter as a suo motu PIL. The case has been referred to the Bench of the Chief Justice for further adjudication and monitoring.
In addition to initiating the broader legal challenge against the state’s negligence, the High Court has granted the “kith and kin” of the deceased inmate the liberty to seek compensation from the government for the loss of life resulting from the lack of proper treatment.
The case highlights a critical gap in the state’s duty of care toward prisoners, an issue that will now be examined under the scanner of the High Court’s PIL jurisdiction.
