"It's not my concern to know".
That was the bombshell statement dropped in the Sitting of the Senate on Tuesday by the Minister with responsibility for Health, Senator Ann David Antoine in response to allegations that tuberculoses exists in Grenada's lone prison facility.
"Like any other medical disease there is treatment available for tuberculosis, I don't know what all this drama is about. It's not my concern who have it or who don't. There can be people sitting in this very building who is infected," Sen. David-Antoine told the House.
As she spoke, several mouths opened wide in disbelief as the senior government minister made her statement about the dreadful communicable disease.
Sen. David-Antoine was responding to statements made by Deputy Political Leader of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator, George Prime, that a local medical doctor reported that at least one prisoner has the disease and is presently receiving medical attention.
Reading from an alleged Ministry of Social Development Probation Unit report, the Opposition Senator said that the affected person is an elderly inmate who has been suffering from a series of medical problems including sores on his feet and severe coughing.
"He was seen by a medical doctor in this country and is receiving treatment for TB. He (the affected person) consumes a total of twelve tablets per day," Prime told the House without disclosing the name of the inmate.
According to the NDC Number Two official, the Minister is fully aware of the situation and that she should stop pretending to be ignorant of the situation.
Allegations that TB exists at the island's sole prison facility broke last year when President of the Grenada Bar Association (GBA), Ruggles Ferguson, drew the issue to the attention of the Minister of Health and asked that it be investigated.
Government denied the claims and accused the GBA head of playing politics with the issue.
The Keith Mitchell-led administration warned that it would not tolerate rumours designed to create panic within the society and aimed at damaging the island's tourism sector.
National Security Minister, Senator Einstein Louison also demanded a retraction of a letter written by Grenada Bar Association regarding a possible outbreak of tuberculosis at the prison.
