Jails are hotbeds for skin, respiratory diseases – DOH

WITH congested airflow and cramped spaces, the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday said jails and other detention facilities can be deemed as hotbeds for respiratory ailments and skin diseases for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs).

In a press briefing, DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said the prevailing conditions inside prison facilities naturally makes PDLs vulnerable to respiratory diseases and skin problems.

“The conditions in the places of detention actually give rise to a lot of diseases, most of them, respiratory tract infections,” said Domingo.

“In addition, skin diseases due to close contact. There can also be allergies in particular areas as PDLs are human beings and they also have allergies,” he also said.

The health official said respiratory diseases can be easily transmitted due to the problematic airflow in detention facilities.

“In several instances, when we talk about communicable diseases, we talk about air flow, we talk about close contact, and those things are rather limited when it comes to places of detention,” he explained.

On the other hand, Domingo said problems in sanitation may cause the skin woes of prisoners.

“These conditions may happen because of hygiene and sanitation,” he said.

According to Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, such perennial problems in jail and prison facilities make it imperative to have the “National Policy on Promotion and Protection of Health in Jails, Prisons, Custodial Facilities and Other Places of Detention.”

The said Joint Administrative Order (JAO) is signed by the DOH along with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

“The policy mandates a health-protective and health-promotive detention environment that reduces PDL disease risks,” said Herbosa.

“It ensures comprehensive and responsive health services, and adequate financing, human resources, and information mechanisms to support healthcare for persons in jails, prisons, and other places of detention,” he also said.

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