S.L. 260.3 Art. 31Medical service.

(1) A prison medical service shall be organised in consultation with the Minister responsible for health and shall include the services of registered medical practitioners who shall have the care of the health of prisoners. These services shall include daily visits to the prison for such number of hours as the proper carrying out of their duties may require and for on call duties at all other times of the day or night.

(2) The Director shall designate one of the medical practitioners as the Medical Officer of the Prison. Such officer shall be responsible for the co-ordination and management of the prison medical service.

(3) The prison medical service shall provide for specialised services from among those available without charge to the community outside prison for diagnosis and in proper cases, the treatment of any illness, whether physical or mental, or of drug abuse or addiction. It shall be the duty of the Medical Officer to make use of such services whenever advisable.

(4) The services of a qualified dental surgeon who forms part of the dental services available without charge to the community outside prison, shall also be available at least once a week at the prison.

(5) There shall be kept at the prison a properly equipped infirmary for the care of any prisoner who, in the opinion of the medical practitioner in charge, does not require hospitalisation outside prison but should not be kept in his cell. The Director shall engage the services of a pharmacist and of the required qualified nursing and paramedical personnel. Such services shall be attached to the infirmary, under the direction of the Medical Officer. Separate arrangements shall be made for male and female prisoners.

(6) Sick prisoners who, in the opinion of the medical practitioner in charge, need treatment outside prison shall be transferred to a specialised institution or to a general hospital, as the case may require, subject to the provisions of any law relating to mental health and to admission to a mental institution.

(7) The Medical Officer shall inform the Director if he suspects any prisoner of having suicidal intentions, and such prisoner shall be placed under special observation.