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Health and housing woes at Buimo
Funding delays from Morobe provincial government leave warders and prisoners at Buimo jail in dire housing conditions. PETER MIVA reports

A typhoid outbreak at Buimo jail, Lae, Morobe province, and the subsequent deaths of four inmates in 2003 catapulted an all-out effort by authorities to improve its prisoner and staff facilities.
The efforts gained momentum when Morobe governor Luther Wenge successfully sought a court order from the National Court in Waigani through law firm Pato Lawyers to partially close the jail for four years.
It became the catalyst for a promising project that has now taken three years and several months with time almost tight before the partial closure expires on September 23 this year.
While the rest of the preceding orders for the renovation and building of new amenities for the jail's prisoners have been effected, part 6 of the court order would be prone to further delays if no action is immediately taken by authorities.
That part of the order by the National Court in Waigani on September 23, 2003 states that the jail with the assistance of the Morobe provincial government shall renovate and or maintain all staff quarters including installation of a suitable water supply and sewerage system.
A visit to the jail staff quarters on March 20, 2007, by a team of provincial health and building inspectors from the Morobe provincial administration in an effort to find out the current status of the buildings and sewerage system is a sign of the earnest attempts by both parties to rebuild the facilities.
The team visited 51 permanent staff houses and found that buildings and sewerage systems are in a deteriorating state that most need urgent renovations.
It also found that most of the houses which were built in the 1960s had major sewer leakages and walls were either broken down due to rain, flooding and termite infestation.
The inspection team found that each house needed its own sewer, but they instead found that six or seven houses shared a sewer which caused it to overflow into nearby storm drains.
The team also discovered that some sewers from some houses were overflowing into the yards of other staff causing health problems such as instances of diarhoea, stomach complaints, and common skin diseases.
The team also found that the underground water level was too high and that most of these sewers wastes could not sink but overflow during the rainy season.
It also suggested during the initial assessment to join one main sewerage pipeline for all houses to be connected to the nearby Taraka sewerage treatment plant.
The team also concluded that to solve the problem, it would be recommended that staff from affected houses be relocated temporarily until their sewers are fully maintained.
Also on the condition of the houses, the team found that most of them need urgent repairs as they have been infested with termites and some of the houses on ground level have been continuously flooded during heavy rains because of bad drainage systems.
Jail commander Samson Jaro who is on holiday but remarked when the team visited him said that while AUSAID have assisted with the renovation of prisoners facilities, the jail is awaiting a K500,000 commitment from the Morobe government to assist build and renovate the houses and sewerage system for the staff each year for four years.
The inspection team is expected to submit recommendations of its findings to all stakeholders including the provincial administration, Correctional Services and the court before September 30, this year.
Meanwhile, construction is underway on a 100-room male prison dormitory at the Buimo jail.
Acting jail Commander Superintendent Judy Tara told The National recently that the construction of the new dormitory is part of the AusAID funded building and renovation project.
Mrs Tara said that Lae Builders and Contractors have started laying the foundations for the new dormitory and the whole building is expected to be completed by September this year.
She said that once the dormitory is completed it will provide the capacity of the jail to hold more prisoners and will cut down on overcrowding problems.
Mrs Tara said that LBC has also started work on building a new industrial hall for the prisoners at the old playing field and relocated the field to the old location of the industrial hall.
She said the whole building and renovation project includes the building of a new kitchen and messing facility and a resource centre for the female prisoners and the juveniles which is already halfway towards completion.
Mrs Tara said the work carried out by the other contractor Regional Engineering and Construction is also hectic in the construction of new juvenile mess.
She said that similar efforts have also started in earnest on the building of three minimum security units with a brand new kitchen and mess.
Mrs Tara said that 15 women prisoners were temporarily transferred to the Bihute jail in Goroka to make space for the renovations to take place at the women's compound have since returned.
She said the development will extend onto the rebuilding of the staff houses and sewerage system which will see a complete rebuilding of the jail's prisoner and staff amenities and housing.
Superintendent Tara said that the jail management held a briefing recently over the delay in funds with Morobe Administrator Manasupe Zurenuoc but has yet to receive any response.
The team of inspectors told The National that funds would only be committed depending on the assessment and recommendations of the findings but this is expected to be done by September 30, 2007.
Jail Commander Mr Jaro could only say, "Only time will tell. The staff need better houses and living conditions but funding is a problem. We will just have to wait for the funding from the provincial government."
Ends.