Chitwan prison grapples with health challenges as over 15%, or 111, of its total 717 inmates, have been found to have suffered from various diseases.

Kamal Prasad Acharya, the chief of the prison, disclosed that more than half of these patients are battling high blood pressure.

The health situation within the prison is exacerbated by the influx of inmates from neighboring districts such as Nawalparasi, Dhading, Gorkha, Makawanpur, and even from other countries, seeking medical treatment. This has contributed to a rising number of patients, and the prison is now hosting 26 diabetes patients, four individuals living with HIV, three thyroid patients, four heart patients, four epilepsy patients, and five mental health patients.

Compounding the issue is the overcrowded state of Chitwan prison, which currently houses more than 200 inmates beyond its intended capacity. Kamal Prasad Acharya pointed out that this overcrowding is partly due to inmates being transferred from other districts for medical purposes.

The prison administration is facing difficulties in providing adequate treatment due to a lack of sufficient budget. Acharya revealed that they are dependent on support from donors to procure essential medicines for the inmates.