Patiala, Aug. 13 -- With Punjab's prisons housing over 37,000 inmates against a sanctioned capacity of just 26,000, the state government has ordered an urgent, evidence-based health infrastructure survey across all jails to address critical medical gaps caused by overcrowding.

In a letter to the principal secretary of health and family welfare, principal secretary (jails) flagged serious concerns over inadequate healthcare facilities in prisons, highlighting that a significant number of inmates suffer from chronic and infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis.

The move follows a meeting chaired by the principal secretary (jails) on August 7, during which officials identified severe shortages of medical staff, lack of...