A coordination meeting over improving COVID-19 containment measures and prison healthcare was held via videoconferencing yesterday morning.

During the meeting, Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Myint Htwe discussed healthcare services for inmates like other ordinary people in accordance with the medical ethics, health checks on inmates with Rapid Antigen Diagnostic Test Kits by cooperating with officials of Home Affairs as some of the lockups and prison cells reported positive cases, cooperation works between Prison Department to give the latest COVID-19 information for the inmates, prison visitors and prison staff, plans to prevent COVID-19 in a timely manner together with the heads of regions and states Prison Department, Public Health and Medical Services Department. The Union Minister also stressed that the prison healthcare services were reviewed in June 2020 and it needs to accelerate the public health-related matters at the prison for the health of prisoners and the ministry will provide the needed hand speakers containing recorded sound about COVD-19 information to conduct educating programmes in the prisons. As the prisons have strict rules and regulations, it will be easy to set health rules for the prisoners and the prison staff should wear masks and face shields.

Then, Director-General for Prison Department U Myint Soe briefed preventive measures of COVID-19 at the prisons, suspension of prison visitations, purchasing of medical supplies, isolation of newly-arrived prisoners at the separate wards for 14 days and another 7 days at other prison lockups and health checks on new prisoners and those to be released.

The Head of Prison Health presented prison health activities regarding COVID-19 while Director Dr Sithu Aung for Disease Control briefed ground survey after positive cases were found at Tharyarwaddy prison and other COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment activities at the prison. Deputy Minister Dr Mya Lay Sein also suggested that the Prison Department should give the lists of prisoners to the Ministry of Health and Sports to conduct health checks on them. Union Minister concluded the meeting after the discussions of Director-General for Public Health Dr Soe Oo and other attendees to the meeting.

MNA

(Translated by Khine Thazin Han)

Photo:MNA

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