Among central prisons in Delhi, no Covid-19 cases in third wave in Mandoli women's jail

New Delhi: While every central jail here reported Covid cases among inmates during the highly-transmissible Omicron fuelled third wave, the number 16 women's prison in Mandoli had a different story to tell.

"None of our inmates were infected, and they include small children," a senior official said, attributing the feat to strict protocols and lessons learnt from the second wave last year, which had crippled health systems across the country.

Inmates and doctors at the jail told PTI that besides protocols, authorities made sure there was availability of medicines, and teas or 'kadha' made of authorised herbs and turmeric mixed in milk were served to boost immunity.

Homeopathic medicines provided by the AYUSH ministry was also given to staffers and prisoners, they said.

Established in 2017, the Central Jail No-16 or more commonly known as the Mandoli women's prison has 174 inmates, among whom 162 are under-trials and 12 convicts.

There are also four inmates who are above the age of 60 years, 18 foreigners and 10 children, including five girls below six years of age.

There has been no Covid case among inmates in this jail in the third wave, but if someone is found infected, then treatment guidelines, as released by the health ministry, will be followed, officials said.

However, some of our staffers became victims of the virus, they said.

To prevent the spread of Covid in the prison, staffers make daily announcements to create awareness about the virus, direct inmates to maintain social distancing and provide

inmates with two washable cloth masks, among other measures, said the officials of the prison, which is currently under the charge of Jail Superintendent Anita Dayal.

Learning from the second wave last year, in which people were getting infected with the Delta variant, authorities stocked up hand sanitisers, soaps and disinfectants.

It was ensured everybody used hand sanitisers, masks and regularly washed their hands with soap, while disinfectants were sprayed in the jail twice every day, the officials said.

The practices and measures to prevent a Covid outbreak continue, they said, adding that the prison has less inmates compared to other jails and this was also an advantage.

Posters mentioning 'Dos and Don'ts' were seen on walls and Dr Shweta Singh, who has been deputed in the jail for over four years, told PTI that "we still have our Covid warriors deputed in each ward to identify any inmate showing symptoms, so that we can immediately seal the barrack and isolate them".

Singh has treated inmates through the first and second waves of the pandemic and recalls how challenging those times were. "Many of

our colleagues got infected in the second wave. We were short staffed and work was plenty," she said. On not a single case being reported from among inmates during this wave, she gave credit to the prison administration and its efforts to continuously maintain stock of masks,

oxygen cylinders, conc entrators, sanitisers and other essentials.