Sunday, May 03, 2015

Anonymous inmate writes of prison "healthcare"

The standard policy of the Dept. of Corrections is to deny the prisoners proper health care. This is a grievance filed by "Harold Davis."  We assign an alias to protect him from retaliation by the Dept:


The underlying attitude of MDOC admin. and staff regarding the medical treatment of prisoners can be described as reluctant and obligatory. It is set in a foundation of forced obligation rather than a foundation of compassionate care.  The lack of humane health care when prisoners have no other option for obtaining healthcare, because of their punishment, is a violation of basic human rights. Deliberatly harmful, deliberate indifference, or negligent physical and psychological harm at the hands of insensitive decion-makers is not part of a prisoner's sentence!

We grieve PHS (Dr. Johnson, etc.) for the deliberate indifference in deferring treatment of Hepatitus C, a life-threatening disease, for providing inadequate and inconsistent healthcare. Healthcare so deficient that it amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Allowing suffereing from a treatable disease, allowing health to deteriorate for lack of proper care - a violation of the 8th amendment.

A liver biopsy was performed at Foote Hospital in Jackson. The result showed my portal infiltrate and mild piecemeal necrosis (grade 2) with enlarged fibrotic tracts (stage 1) causing ineligibility for pegylated interfreron in combination with rebetol treatments.  

I was transferred on 9/27/14 to KTF. Since arriving I've been scheduled twice for a telemedicine conference with the infectious disease specialist, Dr. Hutchison. However, on 10/16/14 I received notice that I'm currently experiencing episodes of pain, shorness of breath, night sweats, bruising easily, and spider angiomas by deferring treatment of Hep. C, my health is being placed at greater risk. There is only one resolution: Begin HCV treatment immediately.  


Even though Michigan does not have a death penalty statute, serving time in a Michigan prison and getting sick while serving time could very well be a death sentence.