KHUJAND, January 9, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- 39 TB-infected inmates of Sughd penal colonies are in serious health condition, the Sughd regional prosecutor Khairullo Saidov remarked at a press service in Khujand on January 8.

According to him, in all, 176 inmates of local penal colonies are estimated to be TB-infected and mortality rate among the TB-infected prisoners increased last year.

“18 prisoners died in the province last year, eight of them were TB sufferers,” said the prosecutor, “In 2007, 10 inmates of Sughd penal colonies died and some of them died of tuberculosis.”