Health Minister assures action to prevent COVID spike in prisons

Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi today assured that immediate action will be taken to prevent spread of COVID-19 within the prisons.

She told parliament that she would discuss the matter with the State Minister of Prison Management and Prisoners Rehabilitation to find ways to address the issue.

She said this when responding to a question raised by Government MP Premalal Jayasekara who was serving death sentence, that the congestion in prisons led to the spike in COVID cases within prisons.

The MP pointed out that heavy congestion is witnessed in prisons, including the Welikada prison where it is not practical to maintain one-metre physical distance.

"In the prison where I am detained, around 200 inmates were tested positive for COVID-19. Prisons are heavily congested. About 60 to 70 inmates share one toilet," MP Jayasekara said.

The MP requested the Minister to take action to vaccinate the inmates or find a solution to the congestion in prisons to prevent the spread of virus among the prisoner community. (Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)