Nation's First Medical Prison In Alor Star

KAJANG, July 20 (Bernama) -- The Alor Star Prison is to be turned into the first medical prison in Malaysia providing treatment and care for prisoners with critical ailments like AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis, apart from physical deformities and mental conditions.
The Prison Department's Security Division officer Supri Hashim said prisoners in need of medical attention, rehabilitation and constant monitoring on their health would be put there.
"Based on the Prisons Department record, there are 1,800 inmates who are HIV positive, 150 with tuberculosis, 10 hepatitis B, 280 mental problems and 100 physical deformities," he told Bernama here, Thursday.
The Alor Star Prison was chosen partly because it is beside the Alor Star Hospital and the prisoners can undergo emergency treatment there when the need arises.
The prison is to undergo renovations for the purpose under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.
Supri said the setup conforms to the Prison Regulations that allows sick inmates to receive medical attention.
He said the idea was mooted after a visit to a medical prison in Thailand recently.
"Then, we exchanged ideas with the Thais on the staffing aspects and other facilities for the first medical prison in the country," he said.
Among the new positions to be created are medical officers, health officers and prison officers who would run the medical prison.
"The prison procedures too will see changes to facilitate medical care for prisoners," he said.
Male and female prisoners are to be segregated.