ZCZC
BSS-65
COVID-19-ICRC-PRISONERS
ICRC continues supports to protect prisoners from COVID-19 infection
DHAKA, July 29, 2020 (BSS) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is continuing supports to the Prisons Directorate (PD) in Bangladesh to help mitigate the risk of the spread of coronavirus infection among prisoners and its staff.
It recently contributed to increase capacity of the Old Dhaka Central Jail accommodation centre for guards under a project, said a press release here today.
Under the project, the ICRC donated five tents for housing guards, set up hygiene and power supply facilities while it is supporting the centre with disinfection materials and personal protection equipment (PPE).
The ICRC further extended its support to the Prisons Directorate by setting up three focal COVID-19 isolation facilities, reflected in the technical cooperation, the management of infrastructure and services in Feni and Kishoreganj isolation centres.
Apart from this, work is under way to launch a 70-bed isolation centre in the central jail of Keraniganj. The supports included designing and implementing the rehabilitation of the centres, providing technical support to establish guidelines and implementing infection prevention and control measures. Basic medical and sanitation equipment, as well as furniture, have also been provided.
Explaining the ICRC’s continued assistance, Henning Krause, Protection Coordinator of ICRC Bangladesh, said, “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh, we managed to identify quite early the major needs of the response to the pandemic in the prisons and have actively engaged with the Prisons Directorate to assist the detainees and PD staff members.”
Two batches of sanitation and hygiene materials were delivered to all 68 prisons in April and May 2020 to support them in their efforts.
Earlier, 135 infrared thermometers were distributed to all prisons to strengthen their medical screening capacity in close coordination with the detention authorities.
Inspector General (IG) of Prisons Brigadier General AKM Mustafa Kamal Pasha expressed gratitude and appreciated the ICRC for its efforts to strengthen the awareness and preparedness of the Prisons Directorate regarding a possible outbreak, saying “The ICRC has actively intervened with assistance and support of our response in confronting COVID-19. We look forward to cooperating for prisoners’ health care in the future as well”.
Together with the Prisons Directorate, ICRC’s further support of infection prevention and control materials and PPE is planned to be carried out across all prisons to enhance their COVID-19 preparedness and response.
BSS/PR/SAH/RY/1955hrs