A further prisoner at the notorious Midlands Prison in Portlaoise was hospitalised last night bringing the number of inmates being treated for a suspected mass overdose to eleven.
Three prisoners are in a critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit while eight others remain in a serious condition.
As of Tuesday, one prisoner was in a coronary care unit, eight were in A&E and another was in a secure room in hospital.
The suspected overdoses happened on the C wing of Ireland’s highest security prison, which houses convicted killers and gangland criminals.
The drug used has still not been identified but it is understood to be a powder substance. It was discovered following a series of searches that took place after the prisoners became ill.
Prison sources say that the illicit drugs have been been sent for testing.
In a statement the Irish Prison Service said it is working closely with the HSE and it has secured extra naloxone kits in the event of clinical intervention.
“Extra vigilance is being taken across the prison estate and the Irish Prison Service has commenced an information campaign for prisoners around the dangers of consuming contraband.
“The Irish Prison Service is committed to preventing the access of contraband including drugs into prisons and continues to be a high priority for the Irish Prison Service. The Irish Prison Service has committed to continuing to invest in new technologies and measures to support our efforts to keep contraband out of prisons.
It added “Our Canine Unit carry out searches around the prisons, including a greater focus on searching deliveries into prisons.
“The Irish Prison Service continues to engage with An Garda Síochána with regard to preventing contraband entering our prison and this happens at both local and national level. The Operational Support Group work closely with their colleagues in An Garda Síochána on a regular basis and the sharing of intelligence has led to target searches resulting in the seizure of contraband.
“The Irish Prison Service are committed to strengthening our measures in keeping drugs out of prison and in this regard a new drug strategy was published last November.”
Last month the Irish Prison Service issued an urgent drug alert after the HSE’s National Drug Treatment Centre confirmed the presence of a nitazene-type substance called N-Pyrrolidino protonitazene. Nitazine is a synthetic opioid.
It is a potentially deadly synthetic opioid and often comes in blister packs which are usually yellow in colour, and mistaken for benzodiazepines.
