Prison journalism: Challenges In Pollsmoor Healthcare Facilities

Prison journalism: Challenges In Pollsmoor Healthcare FacilitiesDean Mashimbwe, a Zimbabwean migrant residing in Cape Town, was incarcerated at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre from 2016 until 2017.

by Dean Mashimbwe

06-11-2023 14:47

in Prison Journalism

Prison yard

Image via Unsplash

When I first went to prison as a non-gangster, before my sentence, I often slept on the floor in confined spaces with inmates who had TB. The cells had a foul smell and were overcrowded.

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Overcrowding and Inadequate Living Conditions We shared a small cell meant for 24 people with about 50 other inmates. We all shared a toilet and a shower, which was regularly blocked. We had to use a sink for washing, but that meant we had to take turns every week. Gang members always went first to get hot water, so by the time it was my turn, the water was cold. I was lucky enough to get a sheet and a blanket that I put on the floor to sleep on. When I got a blanket, it was already very dirty, and I couldn't wash it because it was winter, and I wouldn't have anything to sleep on. There were people smoking in the cell and gambling.

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Inadequate Medical Care and Facilities The worst part was when you got seriously sick and requested to go to the hospital; it would take weeks or even months while you were in pain. For those with tooth problems, the dentist would come once in a while. I once went to the hospital with a running stomach and found a severe shortage of professional medical staff. Although a number of patients were mentally ill, a visiting psychiatrist would attend only once a month. There were supposed to be 36 funded posts for nurses, but only 12 were filled. Basic health precautions were not taken, and health materials were not available.

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Nurses needed to improve their ethical and professional behaviour. There should be a policy and monitoring on the storage and checking of drugs, as well as for the storage and prescription of medicines. Medicines needed to be maintained and kept in favourable conditions to ensure they were effective and within their expiry dates, which was not adhered to. Some emergency drugs were not available, and ordinary drugs, such as treatment drugs for TB, had expired yet were still being kept.

There were several other discrepancies, such as ampoules of medicine that had expired, casual entries in the drug register, emergency equipment not in proper working order, and rules and regulations not being followed as prescribed by law. The temperature of the fridges was not properly controlled. In heavily populated prisons like Pollsmoor, there were opportunities to spread communicable diseases, and appropriate precautions were not taken. In conclusion, the healthcare facilities in prison were so poor that one could die quickly if seriously sick and in need of a doctor's attention, with priority given to well-known inmates.

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DISCLAIMER: Submission published as received

RESTORE is an NGO based in Cape Town, South Africa, providing inmates at Pollsmoor Prison with restorative justice opportunities.

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