The Eastern Regional Security Council is set to erect tents at the Koforidua prisons to isolate some 20 inmates with chicken pox as well as two others who are also suffering from tuberculosis.

Health officials in the region have begun treatment for at least the inmates confirmed to have contracted the highly contagious diseases.

But Eastern Regional Director of health, Dr. McDammien Dedzo has inforned JOY NEWS that they were unable to separate the affected inmates due to a lack of space.

“Currently in the Regional Hospital, Koforidua we don’t have isolation ward. The real problem is the spread from one person to the other, and [if] these diseases were to happen in a place where there was space in the prison, we could use one of the cells, but because of the congestion and the numbers we cannot isolate one ward for them to use; that is the problem”.

Meanwhile, the Regional Security Council says it has taken delivery of tents to help isolate the affected persons.

Mavis Ama Frempong, Deputy Eastern Regional Minister said each tent could contain ten people.