Filenews 28 December 2024 - by Fanis Makrides
Tuberculosis tests at Lakatamia police detention facilities and possibly other facilities controlled by the police are expected to take place early in the new year. The reason is the recent detection of a case of tuberculosis.
This is a prisoner of Congolese origin, who was held in the aforementioned police detention facilities and in mid-November, after his transfer to the Central Prison, it was found that he was suffering from tuberculosis.
After the diagnosis of the prisoner in the penitentiary (mid-November), due to his previous detention in the Prisons, a protocol was activated by the members of the Police in cooperation with the competent services of the Republic. In the context of this protocol, detainees in Lakatamia, members of the police force, as well as civilian personnel were examined (20/11).
A competent source told "F" that next February new preventive checks will be carried out in these police detention centers.
Earlier, and specifically in the middle of last month, the prisoner in the Central Prison fell ill with tuberculosis and ended up in the Intensive Care Unit of Nicosia General Hospital. Our information indicates that he has now escaped danger.
However, as it was reported at the time, the management of the penitentiary had taken all necessary measures to determine whether other persons held in ward 1A (where the person who fell ill was held) became ill. At the same time, as it was known, the situation was monitored by the medical staff of the Prisons in cooperation with the Ministry of Health.
It is worth noting that the defense of Simon Mistriel Aykut, accused of usurping Greek Cypriot property, had submitted a request for his release with conditions due to the reported case. However, the Assize Court had rejected it after ruling that there was no evidence to suggest that the 74-year-old defendant was at risk of contracting tuberculosis.
As far as Lakatamia detention facilities are concerned, it is worth noting that it is one of the important police structures used for the detention of persons, including suspects of serious offences. That is why there are a similar number of police officers in charge of managing this area.
In Lakatamia until recently there were detention facilities for 38 people, while previously on the basis of a decree of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order they were declared as prisons. In fact, there is the only room in Cyprus that is specially designed to hold high-risk cases of people.
Our competent source said that tuberculosis can be transmitted in detention facilities where there is overcrowding, however, indicated that in the case of the recent case, immediate measures were taken and it was found that there was no transmission.
He also pointed out that many prisoners may already be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis before entering prison, especially if they come from vulnerable social groups or areas with high endemicity.
The detainee is from Congo, where death rates from tuberculosis are particularly high.
