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As India struggles to contain the second wave of COVID-19, the number of cases and deaths across many parts of the country continue to be on a rise. Amidst these challenging times, prisons continue to be one of the worst affected places owing to overcrowding, limited hygiene and insufficient access to health care.
In the state of Punjab alone, over 650 prisoners and 300 frontline workers have contracted the virus in the past couple of weeks. Over 2500 correctional officers and hundreds of prison healthcare staff continue to be at significant risk of covid-19 exposure. Key public health strategies to reduce virus transmission, such as social distancing and self-quarantine, are becoming difficult, almost impossible, in most prisons. The dire shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and insufficient medical attention towards frontline healthcare and correctional staff have further posed a threat to their health and safety.
In these dire circumstances, when correctional staff members are the first point of contact for managing stress and anxiety among prisoners, they are the ones who are the most neglected. Keeping in view the urgent need to protect the physical and mental health of frontline workers in prison and boost their morale, I have started this fundraiser to arrange for a supply of 100 covid kits across 25 prisons in Punjab. This is being done after a need was raised by the prisons department regarding shortage of covid kits for frontline workers stationed in special prisons in Punjab.
The kits would be distributed to frontline workers in prison (through the Punjab prisons department) who are currently battling Covid-19 and are in self-isolation with limited care. The kits would contain items such as essential medicines, pulse oximeter, digital thermometer, masks, sanitisers and PPE kits for each of the frontline staff members. Each kit would cost approximately Rs 2,000 (27 USD/20 GBP) and thus we need to collectively raise Rs 2,00,000 (2,700 USD/ 2000 GBP) for the cause.
Our correctional officers and healthcare providers in prisons desperately need our reassurance that they will not be abandoned, neglected, or forgotten during this time for responding to the needs of incarcerated people. Our collective health depends on it!
For every contribution made towards the cost of one kit (Rs 2000/20 GBP/27 USD), you will be saving the life of one frontline worker in Punjab prison!
Let's come together and contribute towards this noble cause!
In these dire circumstances, when correctional staff members are the first point of contact for managing stress and anxiety among prisoners, they are the ones who are the most neglected. Keeping in view the urgent need to protect the physical and mental health of frontline workers in prison and boost their morale, I have started this fundraiser to arrange for a supply of 100 covid kits across 25 prisons in Punjab. This is being done after a need was raised by the prisons department regarding shortage of covid kits for frontline workers stationed in special prisons in Punjab.
The kits would be distributed to frontline workers in prison (through the Punjab prisons department) who are currently battling Covid-19 and are in self-isolation with limited care. The kits would contain items such as essential medicines, pulse oximeter, digital thermometer, masks, sanitisers and PPE kits for each of the frontline staff members. Each kit would cost approximately Rs 2,000 (27 USD/20 GBP) and thus we need to collectively raise Rs 2,00,000 (2,700 USD/ 2000 GBP) for the cause.
Our correctional officers and healthcare providers in prisons desperately need our reassurance that they will not be abandoned, neglected, or forgotten during this time for responding to the needs of incarcerated people. Our collective health depends on it!
For every contribution made towards the cost of one kit (Rs 2000/20 GBP/27 USD), you will be saving the life of one frontline worker in Punjab prison!
Let's come together and contribute towards this noble cause!
