Things did not stop at this point. In February alone, 7 prisoners died in two specific prisons, at a time when those concerned failed to assume their responsibilities.
The Tripoli Bar Association recently raised the issue, as it is a scandal and a disaster that threatens the health and lives of prisoners.
In an interview with “Al-Ahed News” website, the director of the “Prisoner’s Rights” Center in the Syndicate, Muhammad Sablouh, confirmed that “the overcrowding in prisons alone will increase the percentage of patients and put severe pressure on the concerned medical team.”
He pointed out that, “Roumieh prison contains more than 3000 prisoners, with a capacity that does not exceed 1500 prisoners.”
He pointed out, “This overcrowding is not matched by any additional health care, as there is no field hospital for emergency cases, and health care is the worst.”
He added, “The need for those concerned to move to provide the prison with the specialized medical equipment, especially since a prisoner had previously suffered a heart attack and waited for permission to be transferred to the hospital for a long time until he died before that.”
He continued, “The deceased prisoners, including one in the Fakhr El-Din barracks of the Military Police in Ramlet Al-Baida in Beirut, and the other six in Roumieh Central Prison.”
Sablouh explained, “The deaths occurred from February 1 to February 20 of the same month.”
Sablouh pointed out that, “drugs are not available in prisons, although the associations and the two bar associations in Beirut and the North volunteer to secure some of them, in addition to the costs of operations for sick prisoners.”
He added, “We previously presented the deteriorating conditions to the ministers of health and the interior and the concerned parliamentary committees, and we received promises without any implementation.”
Sablouh described what is happening as a “crime”, and said: “It deserves a serious investigation, given that those who are exposed to it have rights over the state just like any other citizen.”
The Lebanese Medical Social Gathering shed light on this issue today, wondering regarding the truth regarding the deaths that took place last month.
In an interview with Al-Ahed, the head of the assembly, Raif Reda, confirmed that “we are concerned with following up on all health issues, especially since the conditions in prisons are no longer tolerable and do not take into account the humanity of prisoners there.”
Reda called on the relevant ministries to “establish a field hospital for emergency cases to avoid a repetition of what happened, specifically following receiving information regarding the spread of infectious diseases among prisoners.”
He added, “The assembly is ready to send specialists to examine the health of the prisoners.”
Reda pointed out that, “We previously raised the issue to the Parliamentary Health Committee, without receiving any practical response,” stressing the need for “every negligent prisoner to be held accountable for the fate of this file.”
In turn, a source in the Parliamentary Health Committee confirmed that, “This file will be presented at the committee’s meeting next Tuesday, following reviewing the detailed reports.”
