FROM 2018 to February 15 this year, 208 deaths had occurred in immigration detention centres nationwide, Deputy Home Minister Ismail Mohamed Said told Parliament today. 

He said out of 208, 25 died due to Covid-19, while the rest were due to other illnesses, namely septic shock, tuberculosis, severe pneumonia, lung infection, heart complications, dengue, diabetes, shortness of breath and organ failure. 

Ismail was replying to Azalina Othman Said (Pengerang-BN), who queried on the number of deaths that occurred in detention centres for the past five years and measures taken by the Immigration Department to ensure the safety of its detainees. 

On this, the minister said 25 medical officers have been stationed at all 18 detention centres across the country. 

He said the officers are instructed to carry out a pre-medical check-up on the detainees before they are taken into custody, as well as a follow-up.

In the case of an emergency, he said, the detainee will be taken to the nearest district health office, accompanied by a medical officer and an immigration officer.

“The Immigration Department, in collaboration with the Health Ministry, has placed 25 assistant medical officers grade U29/32 at immigration depots throughout Malaysia to provide initial treatment to detainees,” he said.

“Each immigration depot has one assistant medical officer, a cadet post, to manage the health of detainees to the screening process of minor cases and also follow-up treatment, undergo an initial examination of all detainees including children to identify their health status, and if there is an emergency, the detainee will be sent to a district health clinic or the nearest government clinic,” he said. 

Meanwhile, in a reply to Lim Lip Eng (Kepong-PH) on how many close-circuit televisions (CCTVs) were available in rooms at all the detention centres, Ismail said the ministry during a visit had instructed the Immigration Department to install CCTVs in all of its detention rooms for the safety of detainees and immigration. – March 17, 2022.