KUALA LUMPUR: The Prisons Department has confirmed that a male inmate's death at the Pokok Sena Prison, Kedah, last Monday was due to bacterial infection of the blood.
The department explained that the inmate complained of feeling unwell last Friday (Oct 4), nine days after his caning was carried out on Sept 25.
"Following a complaint of illness by the inmate, the prison continued to carry out examinations through intensive treatment by medical officers. The inmate was taken to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital on Oct 7 for further treatment before he was confirmed dead. The preliminary post-mortem report stated that the cause of death was due to bacterial infection in the blood," it said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 10).
The department said the caning on Sept 25 followed the standard operating procedure, adding that the prison's medical officer also confirmed that the prisoner was healthy and fit following a thorough examination.
"After undergoing his sentence, the inmate was carefully treated including wound care (dressing) daily and his health was monitored from time to time by prison medical officers," it said.
The department said it has started an internal probe to review whether the execution of the sentence followed the set SOP.
"So far, no SOP violations have been identified, and further investigations are underway. If it is found that there is an element of negligence or procedural weakness while performing duties, the department will not compromise and will take strict action against the responsible party," it said.
The department also reminded the public not to spread false news about the case. - Bernama
