Two inmates die, 30 isolated after cholera outbreak at Shimo la Tewa prison

Two inmates at the Shimo La Tewa Maximum Security Prison died on Tuesday morning following a cholera outbreak.

At least 30 others were isolated at the facility on suspicions that they could also be infected.

Coast Region Prison Commander James Kodieny said those that were suspected to have contracted the disease were on treatment at the isolation facility.

“Thirty are isolated. Cholera is so contagious so we can’t take them to the hospital. We are dealing with them locally.

We had an outbreak in which we lost two remand prisoners. The situation has been put under control after county government intervened and gave us medication,” Mr said.

He said he suspected the disease found its way into the prison through remandees who were recently brought to the prison.

FAMILIES OF INFORMED

The prison commander said families of the two who died had already been informed.

He added that as soon as the first outbreak happened in the country they took preventive measures.

“We do not allow food inside this facility. That is why we (previously) had no cases reported here since the outbreak was announced,” he said.

According to Mombasa County Health Executive Binti Omar, the two dead prisoners started vomiting and experiencing acute diarrhoea while at the prison.

“They were rushed to the Coast General and Referral Hospital but they died. We took their rectal swabs for testing and it has been confirmed they died from cholera,” she said.

Speaking to Nation by phone, Ms Omar said all prisoners and other people in close contact with them were given preventive medication and a surveillance team dispatched to the facility to control the epidemic.

Meanwhile, seven other patients are admitted to different hospitals in Mombasa County suffering from acute diarrhoea.