A fact-finding team from the Thyolo District Council has assessed and confirmed malnutrition situation at Bvumbwe Young Offenders Rehabilitation Centre. 

The council's spokesperson, Brenda Nkosi, told Zodiak Online on Wednesday that the report on the type, classification, magnitude, possible causes and recommendations will be released this week. 

 

"Thyolo District Council last week sent a district team comprised medical, public health and nutrition experts which was on the ground the whole of last week and established a benchmark on the issue at hand and come up with the recommendations. Now they are finalising on the report which will be released this week," Nkosi confirmed. 

 

Nkosi has however, trashed reports that some Thyolo District Hospital staff had petitioned the council to fund the team to assess the nutritional conditions in all the district's prisons after they observed a dire situation of the young offenders. 

 

Two weeks ago, six patients from the correctional facility were reportedly admitted to Thyolo District Hospital with severe and moderate malnutrition, a thing others attributed to  a once-a-day meals. 

 

Meanwhile, Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) chairperson, Robert Mkwezalamba said something has to be done quickly, calling on the prison authorities to diversify and sub-contract the provision of nutritious food in all prisons. 

 

"This is unfair and unfortunate and the situation must be improved. We need to subcontract provision of food to all the prisons and rehabilitation centres as an immediate solution. As a long term solution, we are asking the prison services to diversify and make their services available to the public even at a fee so that they generate money to sustain their operations," he suggested. 

 

Thyolo District has got three prisons, Bvumbwe, Makandi and Thyolo.