Central jail’s medical facility expanded to 30-bed hospital

Kathmandu, Jan 16  ,,   The central jail, the largest prison house in the country, has brought a 30-bed hospital into operation. The 104-year-old jail based in Jagannathdewal, Kathmandu had first started medical checkup facilities for inmates and detainees from a room inside it in 2020 BS (55 years ago) and it had been able to construct its own building in 2068 BS (seven years back) to operate the 15-bed health facility from August 13, 2011.
According to hospital section officer Sunita Ghimire, the health facility has now been upgraded to increase the areas of medical facilities for the target group. Sixty-seven quotas have been endorsed under the leadership of a 10th-level officer and seven medical specialists are available here to treat patients.
Presently, the jail holds 2,800 inmates and detainees against its certified accommodation capacity of 1,500. It has 55 doctors and avails a separate cell for women. Separate wards have been established to render medical facilities to female and male patients. OPD, lab, X-ray, ECG and ultrasound services and treatment of dental problem, psychiatric disorders, skin and eye diseases are available in the prison hospital.
The hospital refers those patients whose treatment is not possible here to other government hospitals such as the Bir Hospital, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Mental Hospital and Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre etc being based on the nature of diseases.
If patients want to undergo medical checkup and treatment in the private hospital, the hospital or the prison does not bear the cost. It means that patients themselves should pay for so.
Presently, common cold, fever, asthma, typhoid and other sorts of communicable diseases are the common health problems facing the patients.
On average, the hospital checks some 80-100 patients on a daily basis. Besides, it also provides healthcare facilities to inmates and detainees of Dillibazar and Nakhkhu jails.
The hospital administration had demanded the quota for the 11th level officer and additional doctors as it wants to further systematize the facility. Besides, surgery and maternity services are in the demand list. It has arranged for 24-hour services for the convenience of patients.
—