ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Zamboanga City Jail-Male Dormitory (ZCJ-MD) for the first time in years, has posted “zero cases of conjunctivitis and scabies” which are prevalent diseases in the facility for decades.

ZCJ-MD Warden Jail Supt Xavier Solda said yesterday “We had not recorded any of our 2,062 Person Deprive of Liberty (PDL) as suffering from conjunctivitis and scabies for more than a year now, even during the El Niño phenomenon months when the heat was registering a very high degree Celsius.”

Solda attributed the zero cases of conjunctivitis and scabies to the effort of the jail’s Health Service Unit, which maintains a 24/7 PDL health monitoring scheme supported by Cell Health Aides to monitor the health situation in the facility strictly.

Solda described conjunctivitis as the swelling of the conjunctiva, the thin, transparent layer of tissue that lines the inner surface of the eyelid and covers the white part of the eye.

He also said that the facility’s regular supply of safe water also helps prevent the virus from attacking the PDLs inside the ZCJ-MD.

The ZCJ-MD is now utilizing an elevated water tank and two horizontal stainless water tanks with a combined capacity of 17 cubic meters.

Each jail cell was also installed with a water filtration system including the kitchen area and the quarterly “bacteriological” examination of drinking water in the facility.

The management of the ZCJ-MD initiated the health preventive measure to avert potential health concerns on the water supply.

According to Solda, as early as December last year, the management of ZCJ-MD started to work on improving the airways and ventilation of each jail cell, removing blockades, and adding shades and plants to enhance the natural cooling system in the facility.

“We are putting all efforts to ensure that the right to the good health of our PDL remains a top priority of our unit together with our partners from the Zamboanga City Health Office, Zamboanga City Medical Center, and other health partners,” Solda explained.