As COVID-19 focuses the world’s attention on infectious disease, we have our eyes on one of the most dangerous places for the spread of such outbreaks: prisons, where densely packed people and limited access to health care make for a risky situation.
Lessons learned from fighting TB in Philippines’ jails could help inform the fight against COVID-19 inside prisons. They include infection control protocols ; and creating isolation units for infected patients to halt the disease’s further spread. An infirmary dedicated for the isolation and treatment of detainees with TB in the Calabarzon region—where some of the Philippines’ most congested jails are located—is the first of its kind in the overstretched prison system in the country.
The ICRC is continuously working to strengthen the overall prison health system in the Philippines through activities such as improving access to healthcare for inmates and enhancing the detection and control of TB. These include defining and implementing “inmate health records” and entry screening procedures, among others.
"Some if not most of the detainees will eventually be set free. If they’re sick upon release, they can infect their family members and co-workers. The ICRC shares the BJMP view that detainees deserve the same standard of healthcare as are in the community. "I just hold on so I can get well. Now my treatment is ongoing so I can be cured.” -“Rudy”, inmate with MDR TB.Good nutrition is especially important in preventing TB, but also during the treatment course. Early detection is also key in successfully treating an inmate with TB and lowering the risk of the disease’s spread.
"I visit him twice a week. It takes me an hour to visit him. We talk about the naughty things our grandchildren do. I also bring him food. "Just because they are in jail, it does not mean that they should not receive the same standard of healthcare as are those in the community. They must be treated equally when it comes to standard quality healthcare. There should be no difference.”“The side effects can be very challenging, and sometimes cause patients to discontinue treatment. These include nausea, headache, skin itching, body pains, stiffness, and at times, hearing loss.
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