Question NW4110 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
18 December 2023 - NW4110
Thembekwayo, Dr S to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
(1) What urgent interventions has he taken regarding the Diphtheria outbreak at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre, where a young inmate has already died with several other inmates are placed in isolation?
Reply:
1. The urgent interventions, with, are as follows:
- All the contacts of the index patient were traced and symptomatic patients were isolated while all asymptomatic contacts were quarantined;
- Several inmates have been placed in isolation as a precautionary measure;
- Case finding was conducted by sending throat swabs of all the contacts to National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) for testing;
- Antibiotics treatment was given to symptomatic contacts and antibiotics prophylaxis also given to all asymptomatic contacts;
- Diphtheria Antitoxin (DAT) administered to the confirmed cases;
- Diphtheria Booster vaccine was offered to both inmates and officials;
- Continued close monitoring of those in isolation and in quarantine;
- Stakeholder collaboration was established with the National and Western Cape Provincial Department of Health including but not limited to:
- National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD)
- National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS)
- Provincial Centre for Disease Control, City of Cape Town from the onset of the outbreak.
- Daily updates were provided to the relevant stakeholders;
In addition to the above all the regions were updated to be on high alert especially because an inmate had already succumbed to Diphtheria at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre.
END.