A health emergency has been declared inside the Galle Prison, in the wake of a bacterial outbreak.

Speaking to media, Deputy Director General of Health Services – Dr. G. Wijesuriya has said that initial investigations have revealed the recent spread of an illness among the inmates had been mostly revealed to be an outbreak of the Meningococcal bacteria.

Meanwhile, spokesperson of the Prisons Department – Chandana Ekanayake has said that a special medical team from the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital has been dispatched to the Galle Prison. 

At the present,16 inmates are ill and 09 of them are being treated at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital while the other 07 are being treated at the Prisons Hospital, the Prisons Spokesman has added.

Two deaths were reported and the postmortems were done yesterday (21) with the doctors coming to an open conclusion.

Dr. Wijesuriya further notes that measures are being taken to ascertain how the bacteria had reached the prison. He said that there had been a report of a former inmate being admitted to the Karapitiya a week after his release and subsequently died.  “We are trying to ascertain whether he was the primary source,” Dr. Wijesuriya said, adding that the members of this demised individual are also being tested.

He also said that health experts have also recommended that all inmates and staff at the prison be given antibiotic shots.

Dr. Wijesuriya also said that all measures will be taken to prevent the spread of this bacteria among the society.

Producing inmates in court, temporarily halted

Meanwhile, producing inmates at the Galle prison for court proceedings has been suspended for two weeks.

Prison authorities say that measures would be taken to produce prisoners for court proceedings virtually if required.

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