Care of terminally ill prisoners not good enough says Howard League

The Howard League is calling on the Department of Corrections to fix its treatment of terminally ill prisoners. It is a fundamental human right and a requirement under the Corrections Act that prisoners receive the same medical care as members of the public.

We get too many letters from seriously ill prisoners describing the lack of medical care. A large number of prisoners we hear from with cancer and other serious illnesses are having real difficulty getting access to a doctor, and are routinely given just Panadol for treatment, says Madeleine Rose, Howard League spokesperson.

Sadly, the mistreatment of Vicki Letele is not an isolated incident.

Corrections needs to meet its requirements to provide care equivalent to that of the general public and show some compassion for these prisoners. There are not enough doctors in the prisons. If New Zealand can afford a billion dollars for a new prison then we can afford doctors and proper medical care for our most vulnerable prisoners, says Rose.

The Howard League extends it sympathy to the whānau of Vicki Letele.

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