The absence of healthcare workers in Tanahun jail is causing difficulties for the infants in receiving treatment. The healthcare worker was transferred at the end of July, and no replacement has arrived, depriving inmates of regular healthcare services.
Information Officer Narayan Adhikari of the Tanahun jail stated that the jail had one Health Assistant (HA) position, but since the healthcare worker was transferred, no other healthcare worker has been assigned, depriving prisoners of regular healthcare services. He stated that as the position of health assistant is vacant in the jail, the inmates must be taken to Damauli Hospital even for basic treatment. With the increasing cold, various health issues have started to appear among the inmates. However, due to the lack of healthcare workers in the jail, they are compelled to take the prisoners to Damauli Hospital for treatment and medical checkups. Information Officer Narayan Adhikari reported that the jail with a capacity of 105 inmates currently houses 330 prisoners. Due to the overcrowding and the need for inmates to sleep close to each other, there has been an increase in skin-related diseases among the inmates, as well as health issues such as colds, coughs, and viral fever. In addition, due to the absence of a vehicle at the prison, they have to request transportation from the district police office to take inmates for health check-ups.
Prisoner leader Bishnu Hari Ghimire stated that due to the lack of healthcare workers, it is necessary to take four to five inmates to the hospital for health check-ups daily due to various illnesses. Shankar Babu Adhikari, the chief of the Health Office in Tanahun, stated that the arrival of healthcare workers to the prison has been finalized, but he is unaware of the reasons for the delay. He emphasized that they would work on bringing the health workers in as soon as possible.