Shortage of Health Worker takes a Toll on Inmates

  September 27, 2022 By: INSEC

Inmates of Myagdi District Prison have been left in turmoil due to a lack of health workers. Despite the allocation of positions for health workers by the Myagdi District Prison Office, the positions remain vacant for the past two years.

The prison, situated in Khabara, Jyamrukkot, Beni Municipality-2, has an overall capacity of  32 inmates, 25 men, and 32 women. However, the prison is now housing a total of 85 prisoners; including 19 detainees, and a total of 83 men and 2 women.

According to Dhirendraraj Poudel, jailer of the Myagdi District Prison Office, of all the allocated positions; one Chief Officer, one non-gazetted first permanent employee, one non-gazetted second-class permanent employee, one assistant lokpal, one assistant computer operator, one assistant health worker and four office assistants, the position for assistant health worker has been vacant for past two and half years, which has created problems to the inmates.

Pantha said, “I have been working here for one and half years. Jailer Rajendra Sharma had mentioned the position of assistant health worker being vacant from about a year prior to that.”

As per Basanta Roka, watchmen of the prison, the absence of health workers has created a massive problem for the medical treatment of the inmates.

A resident of Malika Rural municipality-6, Roka, who is currently serving a jail term in the prison, says “There are 2 patients of diabetes and 6 patients of blood pressure, requiring daily medication. Even though they require constant monitoring, vacancy of the position for health worker has been a huge problem.”

According to Pant, inmates have to travel to the hospital even for minor health problems. Prison procedures required to travel for treatment make the ordeal more complicated. The government must give its attention to this issue.

The prison has one 70-year-old inmate and two inmates above 60 years.

Rohitraj Bastola, Chief Attorney of Gandaki province, has shown the commitment to initiate talks to appoint health workers, to the existing vacant position, and to create such an environment in the prison within a week.


Amrit Prasad Paudel