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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-11 Daily Xml
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PRISONS, HEPATITIS C

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:47): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Correctional Services a question about hepatitis C.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Studies have shown that prisoners represent a major concentration of hep C carriers, with a prevalence rate of 40 times that of the general population. A recent article in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases reported on a study of South Australian prisoners in 2004 and 2005 which found that 42 per cent of prisoners were seropositive for hepatitis C. The article concluded:

Of most concern was that HCV seropositive prison entrants were significantly more likely to commence injecting while incarcerated and that needle sharing was common in this group. This suggests that each needle currently in circulation within the South Australian prison system will almost certainly be contaminated with HCV, which has serious implications for prison staff and also for susceptible prisoners.

In a report on a case in 2000, the South Australian Coroner said:

I agree that it is highly inappropriate that prisoners who have a communicable disease should be 'doubled up' with prisoners who do not. The health risks are obvious. If a prisoner does develop a communicable disease as a result of this process, then the department will have to bear the consequences.

My questions are:

1. Will the minister advise the council whether the government has a policy of not doubling up prisoners where one of the prisoners has hepatitis C?

2. What is the government doing to protect prison staff and susceptible prisoners from contaminated needles?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:48): I thank the honourable member for his question relating to prison health. Of course, prison health services are provided by the South Australian Prison Health Service, which is a unit of the Central Northern Adelaide Health Service.

If prisoners are doubled up, every action is taken to ensure that they are compatible in terms of personality, which I think is the word we are looking for here. Prison health is very important to us and, when somebody is admitted to gaol, they go through an assessment period and a system that ensures that, if they have any health issues, they are dealt with.

In relation to what action is taken for prison officers, there are very strict protocols in relation to needle-stick injury and any other bodily fluids injury. Those officers are immediately quarantined and taken to medical assistance as soon as practicable. So, to suggest that there are not any protocols is a clear nonsense on the part of the member opposite. Clearly, in an environment like a prison, health risks can be high, depending on the health risks that a person comes in with. The Prison Health Service takes its responsibilities very seriously in our South Australian institutions.

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