Reports by MARTIN CARVALHO, ASHLEY TANG and FATIMAH ZAINAL

       THERE were 208 deaths recorded in Immigration detention depots from 2018 to Feb 15 this year, says Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Mohamed.

       He said the causes included septic shock, tuberculosis, severe pneumonia, lung infection, heart complications, dengue, diabetes, difficulty in breathing and organ failure.

       He added that there were also 25 Covid-19 fatalities.

       “The government is committed to providing care and protection to the detainees. The detention management procedures in the Immigration depot have been included in the director-general’s standing instructions on the administration and management of the depots,” he said in reply to Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (BN-Pengerang).

       The MP had asked the ministry about deaths in Immigration detention depots over the past five years and the investigation into it.

       Ismail said the Immigration, through its cooperation with the Health Ministry, placed 25 assistant medical officers at the depots throughout the country to provide early medical care to detainees.

       He said during visits to the depots by the Home Minister and him, they directed that the depots be equipped with CCTVs to ensure the safety of detainees and to ensure officers on duty followed the set SOP.

       There are 18 Immigration depots throughout the country.

       Meanwhile, Deputy Health Minister II Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said the ministry had no objections to having the autopsy report on teenager Revnesh Kumar reviewed by an independent panel.

       He said this would, however, depend on the 13-year-old’s parents. Revnesh died earlier this month, 18 days after receiving his first Covid-19 vaccine jab.

       “Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin met and provided a detailed explanation to Revnesh’s parents,” Aaron said.

       The Deputy Minister also said that based on 451 reports of deaths among Covid-19 vaccine recipients that have been evaluated by the Covid-19 Vaccine Pharmacovigilance Special Committee (JFK), none were found directly linked to the vaccine.

       This was out of the overall 607 reports received by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) involving deaths among the recipients, with 156 reports still under investigation before being assessed by JFK, said Aaron.

       Each report was investigated and evaluated by the investigating team and the JFK, which consists of experts from various fields, he said.

       “As of 11 March 2022, there were no reports of deaths that could be directly linked to the vaccine.

       “Throughout the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, the NPRA received 607 reports involving suspected deaths among Covid-19 vaccine recipients and 451 reports have been investigated and evaluated by the JFK.“The cause of death was determined based on clinical assessment and autopsy report. It is confidential information and cannot be disclosed to the public except with the permission of the next of kin,” he said.