A quarantine centre for inmates of Thane central jail has been made in a school in Vitawa, Kalwa. The quarantine centre has a capacity of 300 patients and will be starting for inmates from the first week of May.
The Thane Central jail having a capacity of 1100 cells at present is overcrowded with 3800 under trail inmates. It's almost more than three times the capacity and overcrowding is common inside.
As per the data provided by the prison department last week around 3467 inmates conducted the covid test since May 2020. A total of 65 inmates tested positive, where 40 of them have recovered and 25 of them were positive till last week and undergoing treatment inside the jail.
In May 2020, after inmates across the Maharashtra jail started testing positive every superintendent of jail was asked to coordinate with the district collector or municipal commissioner for a quarantine centre or temporary jail. Accordingly, Thane central jail demanded for a quarantine centre to the Thane Municipal Corporation. But, as a centre was organised at Don Bosco school in Kharghar the Thane jail authorities didn't follow it up. "The one at Kharghar-Taloja was too far to travel as well as inconvenience to the family too. The Thane Central jail lodged inmates from Palghar, Vasai-Virar, Nallasopara and Thane city and District among others. As soon as the centre in Kharghar was closed the Thane jail authorities started following up with TMC for an quarantine centre," said an official from the prison department.
Harshad Ahirrao, Superintendent of Thane central jail confirmed about the new quarantine centre and said, "It has a capacity to quarantine 300 inmates,"
The jail authorities are trying to get most of the facilities including medicine and doctors. "Every new inmate brought by the police station comes with a covid report. Accordingly the inmate will be sent to the quarantine centre for 14 days. If the TMC authorities provide us with a medical team or visiting faculty we can also send the positive inmates for treatment," said a jail officer.
However, the Thane Municipal Corporation is lacking with doctors. "As per the demand from the jail authorities a quarantine centre was needed for the inmates. Accordingly after discussion with our superiors we first saw a place nearby and arranged them at a school in Kalwa," said Sandeep Malvi, Deputy Municipal Corporation and Public relation Officer of Thane Municipal Corporation.
