Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on \r\rTackling Transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in Our Prisons

Question:

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry has updated plans to tackle the transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in our prisons; and (b) whether the Ministry can ensure that all prison inmates are vaccinated for Hepatitis B.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:

1. The Member may wish to refer to the reply given on 6 April 2020. The Singapore Prison Service’s healthcare measures are in accordance with MOH standards and protocols. There remains no known instances of inmates contracting HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C while they are in prison. That said, there is a higher prevalence of some of these diseases in Singapore’s inmate population as compared to the general population. This is not a reflection of active transmission within prison, but may be a reflection of what had happened prior to incarceration, in particular, for inmates who have drug antecedents.