“Everyone” agrees that this will not be the case in a prison in 2022. For a couple of years, there have been major problems with medical coverage in the prison on Helgeland in Nordland. This is also the case in several other prisons, despite the fact that all prisoners in prison are entitled to the same medical care as the general population. Without a doctor for four weeks It is the prison doctor and not the regular doctor who is responsible for the follow-up in prison. In Mosjøen, the prison doctor must be in place one day a week. Now they are back in a period where they are without a doctor – this time for four weeks. – It is sad that you can not get the right help you need in a prison in 2022, says Geir Andre. Greater need for health care A new study commissioned by the Norwegian Prison and Probation Service shows that inmates in Norwegian prisons experience an increased need for care. Prison and health service employees report that inmates have more extensive mental disorders, somatic diseases and age-related disorders now than before. At the same time, many prisons are old, outdated and poorly adapted to the need for health care. – We just had a doctor who was here for a month maybe. So just during the day he packed up and left. – A quarrel that goes beyond us The inmates, the employees, the prison care in Nordland and Vefsn municipality all believe that the up to 15 inmates do not receive good enough medical care. But nothing happens. – It has somehow become a quarrel between prison and health, which in turn goes beyond us. The prison in Mosjøen on Helgeland is one of three prisons in Nordland. Photo: Frank Nygård / news Panicked in the cell during the fire Sjøl himself has struggled with substance abuse problems and wants treatment when he comes out. – I should get a doctor to send a referral to the Trondheim clinic. But it is not possible to achieve when we do not have a doctor. He says that he has not received good enough help after the fire in the prison in March 2021 where one of the inmates died. – I panicked inside the cell. It was probably me who knocked the loudest and got to feel on my body what panic is. We were sent to another prison where I received help, and it was recommended to continue with the trauma treatment here. But we have not achieved that. Six square meters without a window An inmate must have the same rights when it comes to health services as the rest of the population. Facts about prison and health: Morbidity is higher The prison doctor has the medical professional responsibility for health and care services for prisoners and is responsible for referrals to the specialist health service when necessary. Prisoners who request it shall be offered a medical examination by a doctor. Prison care employees must also arrange contact with the health service if there is any indication that the prisoner is ill. It has previously been documented that the morbidity among inmates in Norwegian prisons is higher than in the general population. Over 50 percent of the inmates have a substance abuse problem. There is a higher incidence of personality disorders, severe depression and psychotic disorders, and the inmates report even experienced poor health. (source: The Norwegian Prison and Probation Service and the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s guide) The host municipalities of a prison are responsible for medical coverage. But Vefsn, like many other municipalities, has problems finding enough doctors. And it is also not attractive for doctors to work under such conditions. Vefsn municipality is responsible for medical coverage in Mosjøen prison. Lill Inger Reinfjell, unit manager health Vefsn municipality Photo: Private photo Unit manager for the health service Lill Inger Reinfjell describes the room the doctor has to use in the prison as follows: – It is very awkward. In practice, there is a room of six square meters inside the building. No window, no examination bench, no possibility of ventilation, there is room for an office desk and a small chair. If you talk too loud it sounds in the hallway. The municipality: – It will be unworthy The room that is described as unsuitable to receive patients. – In relation to safety, there are no two exits. This means that when the inmate is at the doctor’s, a prison guard must be standing outside the door. Do you not break the law when there is no doctor in prison one day a week? – No, we do not break the law because we take care that people get medical services when they need it. It becomes more cumbersome, because they have to go to the doctor’s office and use GPs. But this is not a room you can sit in over time, it becomes unworthy. Reinfjell admits that they do not have enough doctors. But she believes the premises are the biggest problem. Correctional care: – Demanding When employees take one or more prisoners out of prison, this is called a presentation. This is resource intensive for the employees. Mette Moe, unit leader in the penal care in Nordland, says she has a great understanding that prisoners are despairing. – Sitting inside during imprisonment and not getting the help you feel you need is difficult and I understand that it is a demanding situation. Mette Moe, unit manager Kriminalomsorgen Nordland Photo: Aleksander E. Hage, KDI Moe says those who work in the prison are also impatient and waiting for a solution. They would like to spend their time on something more meaningful with the inmates than accompanying them to the doctor in the city. She says there have been cases where referrals to hospitals or treatment should have been sent earlier. – You want treatment as soon as possible. When there is a postponement because there is a lack of doctor contact, we think it is critical. It creates insecurity and unpredictability. Same bad premises elsewhere It is not only in Mosjøen that the inmates do not get a regular offer of a doctor inside the prison. At Fauske, further north in Nordland, they have had to take the inmates to a doctor outside the prison since the New Year. They have the same problem with bad locations, according to Moe. In Bodø, they have a permanent prison doctor, but there is also a need for investment there. Moe says they are working hard to find a solution in all three places. – We are working on it now and at a pretty good pace as well. We now lack the final clarifications on what will happen next. Can not plan the release While the letters go back and forth between the Prison and Probation Service and the municipality, Geir Andre is waiting for a doctor’s appointment. For the time being, he will not be able to submit the application for a place in a drug clinic after serving his sentence. Geir Andre believes this is the municipality’s responsibility regardless, even if they do not have the right facilities. – How often do you lie on a bench, I now think. Most people here have a lot of mental health issues. Many have been intoxicated and experienced a lot in childhood. He believes that the inmates must be allowed to see a doctor regardless of the conditions in the prison. – We have good employees here who try to help us. But it should not be like this. But I can not give up because there is no doctor here, says the Trøndelag man and looks forward to his release.
ttn-69
Prisoners do not receive medical care in Mosjøen prison – news Nordland
