Patna, Oct. 18: Dukhi Paswan, an undertrial lodged at Lakhisarai divisional jail, died of tuberculosis in July this year.

The death of Paswan, a resident of Halsi in Lakhisarai district, has exposed the sorry state of healthcare facilities inside Bihar jails.

Paswan, 80, died of tuberculosis on July 3, 2011 despite a special drive launched by the central and the state governments for eradication of the disease, which can be treated through proper medication. Paswan was facing charges under Dowry Act.

An official of the health department said a special drive has already been launched in the state for eradication of tuberculosis. A technician and an assistant have been deputed at all primary health centres across the state to detect the cases of tuberculosis in rural areas. The government has also engaged Asha workers and auxiliary nurse-cum-midwives in the campaign against tuberculosis.

Records available with The Telegraph show that at least three prisoners died of tuberculosis in Lakhisarai jail alone between 2002 and 2011 (till July). The two other prisoners, who fell victim to tuberculosis, have been identified as Shankar Dhanuk and Binay Thathera.

While Dhanuk (36), a resident of Santar locality, breathed his last on February 7, 2009, Thathera, 55, who belonged Lakhisarai town, died on February 7, 2002. In both the cases, the prisoners were treated at the jail hospital.

The official figures gathered from three jails, including Lakhisariam Munger and Buxar central jail, under Right to Information Act, 2005 revealed that a total 84 prisoners died of tuberculosis between 2000 and 2011 (till July).

What is more intriguing is the fact that the prisons department has no information about the cause of death of 24 other prisoners in Lakhisarai, Munger and Buxar jails. Altogether 28 prisoners, including a woman, died in Munger jail while Lakhisarai jail witnessed 16 deaths between 2002 and 2011 (till July).

An inquiry conducted by an additional district magistrate into the death of a prisoner, Shri Yadav, who died at Lakhisarai jail on January 2, 2010, indicted the jail administration for its lapses which led to the death and recommended stern action against the erring officials.

“However, no action has been taken against the jail officials despite the inquiry report, which held the prison staff responsible for the death of the prisoner,” said Om Prakash Poddar, president of Vidhik Pahal, a non-governmental organisation working for the cause of prisoners in the state.

National Human Rights Commission, in its recent report, expressed concern over the death of prisoners in jails across the country. The commission's report said that out of the 1,527 deaths during 2008-09 in prisons across the country, 287 were in Uttar Pradesh, 133 in Bihar and 131 in Andhra Pradesh. Data available with the state prisons department showed that since January this year, 54 deaths had been reported from different jails of the state. “The number of deaths in state jails dipped to 93 in 2010 from 208 in 2006,” said a senior prisons department official.

Acting inspector-general (Prisons) Ravi Parmar, when contacted, said the number of deaths of prisoners has drastically come down in the state jails in recent years.