Wednesday, April 2, 2003

Health problems denied in prison

Lithgow Correctional Centre (IDC) Inmate Development Committee "Currently there are 72 inmates on the doctors waiting list with only one doctor coming fortnightly and usually on a weekend".

Long Bay Correctional Centre prisoner, "I am held in a medical wing 13 because I am a T12 paraplegic. I am writing because I haven't had any physio treatment or ongoing therapy related to my injuries".

Goulburn Correctional Centre prisoner, "I always look like I have been to the football (my head). The doctor hadn't seen me for six odd months. I had the beat up look."

Mulawa Correctional Centre prisoner, "I told the nurse my medical problem and you are not believed until you can verify your situation which fortunately I could. Because of the continuous mistrust of everybody, even though they could contact my doctor who is a gynaecologist they chose not too which caused me great discomfort as I ended up with an infection in my womb."

Junee Correctional Centre prisoner, "I suffer from epilepsy and I am not provided medication. I am waking up on the floor of my cell banging my head and it takes six prison guards to hold me down while I am having a fit."

Doctors say the problems facing health professionals in Australia's prison systems are impacting on the wider community.

A two-day public health association conference begins in Brisbane today in Queensland to review mental and physical health in prisons and youth and immigration detention centres.

The second Public Health Association Conference will also look at the effects of incarceration on the wider community.

One of the organisers, Dr Mitchell Smith, says short sentences and the high turnover of prisoner's means many will return to the community with their health problems.

"The fact they require health care is in a way separate entirely to the fact that they're there for punishment," Dr Smith said.

"They have rights to health care as do any other citizens and so one of the things that the conference is looking at is indeed those rights, and also the difficulties faced by health staff working within the prisons."

Conference organisers say while some health issues in prisons have improved in recent years there are still significant problems.

These include the special needs of prisoners who are female, Indigenous, or have mental and physical disabilities.

Also of concern is the high prevalence of infections such as Hepatitis C, which remain unacceptably high in prisons, and impact on the wider community.

The two-day health conference will also focus on Youth Detention Centres and the mental and physical well-being of immigration detainees and asylum seekers.

By Long Waiting List April 2 03

THE DOCTOR: Guidelines already exist in relation to the Corrections Heath Service but overcrowding means very little or no Service. Prisoners don't get free flue injections even though they are confined to a place where the general public enter and leave.

Prisoners also arrive from other countries with infections. Prisoners get infections from wearing the same clothes because clothes are rarely washed in overcrowded conditions.


Related:

NSW Prisons Inmate Development Committee speaks out
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Fiona Stanley, the children's crusader
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Dept of Corrective Services: Rotten Ron Woodham on the ropes
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At the Minister's Pleasure The case of Michael Kelly
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Black Nexus
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Prison Mind Games-Do they exist?
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The Government is likely to abolish the Inspector General of Corrective Services position The Mulawa inspection report recommendations below strictly illustrate how important he is.