A 28-year-old man accused of theft and sent to Banke Prison for trial after failing to deposite the bail amount and a 30-year-old police official working in the same prison have been infected with covid-19. The inmate fell sick on 4 July 2020 and was taken to Bheri Hospital the same day. On 8 July 2020, he was brought back to Banke Prison and kept in the isolation unit. To guard him, Assistant Sub-Inspector and two policemen were posted in the isolation unit. PCR test for COVID-19 was found positive in one police official also. Now both of them have been sent to isolation centre situated in Khajura.
Human Rights Activists Inspect Prison
After an inmate and a police official were tested positive of COVID-19, a team of human rights activists visited to Banke Prison on 17 July 2020 to inspect the situation of the prison and inmates kept there. A guard at the prison told the team that other inmates who were in contact with the infected inmate, are living under the fear of infection. He also said there should be PCR tests conducted for nearly 50/60 inmates who had come in contact with the infected inmate.
An Ever Existing Problem of Prison
Banke Prison has the capacity to hold 300 inmates but at present it holds 777 prisoners among whom 730 are males and 47 are females with 2 minors with their mohter. Inspection team talked to Jailor Devendra Shrestha and guards and took information about the situation and problems of the male and female prisons. Jailor Shrestha told the team that the biggest problem of the Prison is over-crowding of prisoners so that male prisoners are compelled to live in temporary tents during summer. He also said that detainees from other districts are brought to Banke for treatment and kept in Banke prison due to which it has become over-crowded. He said that he has been urging to transfer prisoners to other districts.
Health Check-up Facitlities
Jailor Shrestha also said that earlier there was problem of electricity and clean drinking water but after province government installed inverter and equipment for clean drinking water, the situation got improved. He assured that there are regular health check-ups and hospital visits when needed for the prisoners. However, the team found that more than 50 percent of prisoners are suffering from skin diseases. Also, the team found that female prisoners feel awkward to share their health problems with male doctors so there should be a female doctor for the health check-up of female prisoners. Advocacy Forum has been facilitating a health camp for the prisoners suffering from skin diseases very soon.
