New ward for old-age inmates inaugurated at Tihar

NEW DELHI: Keeping in mind the health and age-related problems faced by elderly inmates, Tihar Director General Alok Verma today inaugurated a new ward for the senior inmates lodged at the prison.

The new ward has been built in the jail number three, where the main Tihar hospital is also located.

"The senior inmates have many age-related issues and it is difficult for them to travel from different part of the vastly spread jail complex to the hospital which is located here in jail number three. This is why a special ward has been made here to shift those in their old age," Mukesh Prasad, DIG Delhi Prisons and PRO said.

Jail number three consist both convicts and the undertrials. Other young inmates in the jail will be roped in to assist and take care of the old inmates, he said. Newly inducted DG of Delhi prisons inaugurate the new ward today in the presence of DIG, jail superintendent and other senior officers.

Prasad said that another motive to keep the old age inmates together is that special programmes conducted specially for them can now simply be organised here.

"Whenever there used to be an event for senior citizens, collecting all of them from different jails was a big task. Also the doctors needed to travel to their respective wards to see them when needed. With this new ward, health facilities can be made available to them in no time," he said.

Speaking about the female old aged inmates, Prasad said they are staying in the women jail only as they are less in number and can be taken care of in a better way there.

The inauguration was followed by a Kavi Sammelan for all the inmates of jail number three.