A MAJOR tuberculosis (TB) outbreak is said to be out at the Carrera Island Prison and prisons officers who have contracted the disease from the many affected prisoners, have complained to TnT Mirror that tablets they are using to treat the bacteria, are making them impotent.

The worried officers are blaming the tablet “INAH 100 mg” for their problem.

They told Mirror the vitamin B 6 tablets given to them by doctors “to counteract the reaction of the tablet” is of no consolation to them.

“Our sex lives are being threatened and stringent measures must be put in place to prevent further spread of the disease,” snapped the worried prisons officer.

Mirror was told that as TB gets out of control on the island prison, more and more prisons officers as well as prisoners are falling victim to the near epidemic.

Sources inside the prison disclosed that last Friday morning, while 30 prisoners were taken to Caura Chest Hospital for chest X-rays and treatment, some 12 prisons officers from one batch, got time off to go to the Eric Williams Sciences Medical Complex (Mt. Hope Hospital) for the treatment.

“And this is how it has been for the past three weeks down here …

“The medical treatment at Mt. Hope Hospital is for three months.

“You know how much tablets we will ingest in three months time?”

He said officers are quite wary of doing TB tests.

“As much as we are concerned about the health of prisoners, we are really scared for ourselves.”

Officers told Mirror that for the past three weeks a different batch of 30 prisoners leave every morning for treatment at Caura.

“Our officers get time off to go to Mt. Hope Hospital,” he explained.

He further warned that others could contract the disease.

“Don’t be surprised that pretty soon the Coast Guard officers and soldiers who transport prisoners and prisons officers to and from the island contract the disease.

“They are exposed to it.”

The 10 officers assigned to accompany the TB victims to and from Caura have been nicknamed the “TB Squad”.

Carrera Prison has a population of about 400.

The officer said 12 officers on his shift have already been tested positive with TB bacteria.

“The other shifts have just as much.”

He complained, however, that without proper equipment to deal with the outbreak, they have found themselves at further risk.

They are demanding that stringent measures be put in place to protect them from more harm.

“We have no gloves, no masks, nothing to protect ourselves.

“No quarantine for those with TB, there is not sufficient space in the infirmary to house the ill patients.”

He went on: “Even water is a problem, and there is one bucket of water to one officer.”

He said the senior prisons officials are aware of the dilemma they are now facing.

“But it seems like no one wants to act.”

He said officers on the island are suffering.

“Do something now,” he beg-ged.

Medical experts however, told Mirror that the drug Insoniazid (Inah) could cause impotency, but it would be temporary.