HIV/Aids and tuberculosis are the number one killers of inmates nationwide with almost 6,000 diagnosed with the diseases, according to the Disease Control Department (DCD).
A total of 5,900 inmates in prisons around the country suffer from both HIV/Aids and tuberculosis, said Dr Suwanchai Watthanayingcharoenchai, the DCD chief.
According to the Corrections Department, about 1,000 inmates die from illnesses including diseases caused by HIV/Aids each year. Dr Suwanchai said that while inmates with HIV/Aids are given antiretroviral drugs, the pressing concern is other inmates who have not yet been tested and who may carry the virus and are capable of spreading the disease.
The department has drafted an action plan outlining ways to stop HIV/Aids among inmates, although this has been difficult to implement, particularly because inmates' follow-up treatments are disrupted when they are transferred from one prison to another.
Dr Suwanchai insisted the Corrections Department was asked to ensure continued administration of antiretroviral drugs for inmates after their transfers, because patients with the virus must receive the drugs regularly and promptly for treatment to be effective.
"Preventing and containing the spread of communicable diseases in prisons is not hard if we have a proper screening system and detect the diseases early on," he said, adding that the DCD will work quickly to check on inmates' health to see if they have contracted serious illnesses.
Dr Suwanchai was speaking at the opening of the "Returning Healthy People to Society" project at the Vinoom Klang Central Prison in Pathum Thani on Tuesday. He and Corrections Department director-general Naras Savestanan jointly presided over the launch of the project, which monitors the health of former inmates after they have been released to prevent them from passing diseases on.
Pol Col Naras admitted that Thai prisons have failed to deliver sufficient healthcare for inmates due to overcrowding.
The project was launched to commemorate His Majesty the King's coronation.
