In the last four days, three inmates have died at the Jhumka Prison in Sunsari.
One prisoner died on Wednesday evening after a viral fever outbreak spread inside the prison. One death each had also occurred on Sunday and Monday. Among the three deceased, two had the same symptoms, high fever and respiratory problems.
According to Acting Jailer Ram Niraula, the inmate who died on Wednesday evening was 46-year-old Jaleshwar Yadav, a resident of Rajbiraj-8, Saptari, who was serving time in Jhumka Prison.
Yadav, who was in pre-trial detention on a rape charge, was admitted to Inaruwa District Hospital on Wednesday evening after developing high fever and breathing difficulties. He died while undergoing treatment.
According to Jailer Niraula, Ramdev Urau had died on August 31, while Sagar Rai died on September 1. Urau was serving time for a homicide case, and Rai was serving a sentence in a drug-related case.
Urau had also suffered from high fever and respiratory problems. Rai, on the other hand, had been unable to move his body and had been receiving treatment for several days at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan.
Jhumka Prison’s Blocks “A” and “B” currently house 1,795 inmates. Among them, more than 400 are suffering from fever. According to Jailer Niraula, 19 of them have been admitted to hospitals for treatment.
Initially, the prison administration had referred six inmates for treatment. After the fever outbreak worsened, a team of health workers arrived on Wednesday night and referred 13 more inmates for hospital care.
“As more prisoners started showing symptoms of fever, we coordinated with Inaruwa District Hospital and BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Ghopa, and set up a treatment camp inside the prison,” said Niraula. “The medical team has concluded that it is viral fever, so there is no need to panic at the moment.”
He added that further tests are being carried out. Compared to Wednesday, the number of fever patients decreased slightly on Thursday.
