A team of doctors and nurses from the Moto’otua Hospital visited prisoners at Tafa’igata yesterday.
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They were there to provide medical check ups for prisoners who normally go without.
The Assistant Commissioner of Prison and Correction Services, Ulugia Niuia Aumua, said the programme is the outcome of a working relationship with the National Health Services (N.H.S) where such checks will be provided from time to time.
“Our first priority is the health of the prisoners,” said Ulugia. “They are entitled to that as a human right.”
But it’s not just a human rights issue.
Ulugia said the project is more about protecting members of the public. “The previous practice was that prisoners were allowed to go to the hospital to do their check up.
We don’t want that because we have had some complaints from the public that the presence of prisoners there was intimidating.
“So we had a consultation with the hospital and we came to an agreement that the nurses and some doctors will come here to conduct this programme rather than the prisoners going to the hospital.”
The programme is the first of its kind in Samoa. The team will not only check prisoners at Tafa’igata, they will also visit Olomanu and Vaiaata in Savai’i.
“There will be a team from Tuasivi Hospital that will visit Vaia’ata and there is also a team from Faleolo that will visit Olomanu. “So it’s holistic approach that covers the need for regular health checks as well as the security of the public.”
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