The Ministry of Public Health, the Department of Corrections, and the National Health Security Office (NHSO) have joined hands to ensure fair and equal healthcare access for prisoners across the country. The partnership has legally bound the Department of Disease Control (DDC) and the Department of Corrections to implement measures that prevent the spread of communicable diseases among the prison population of over 260,000 inmates residing in overcrowded spaces.
The initiative primarily focuses on preventing the spread of diseases such as tuberculosis, syphilis, AIDS, and Hepatitis B, as well as respiratory illnesses, by providing influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations. The joint venture aims to establish that prisoners have equal rights to medical treatment, with special attention given to senior inmates and those at higher risk.
According to Ayuth Sintoppan, the Director-General of the Department of Corrections, meeting global standards for prisoner healthcare has become increasingly challenging, with the current number of inmates exceeding 266,339. Nevertheless, he assured that all related departments would make every effort to ensure the successful implementation of the project.
In 2022, the Department of Corrections reported 33 infectious outbreaks in prisons, further emphasizing the urgency of providing adequate healthcare measures to safeguard prisoners from communicable diseases.
 have joined hands to ensure fair and equal healthcare access for prisoners across the country.){kind=link}