Medicine runs out at infirmary

The hunger strike began Monday and continued yesterday throughout the convicted prisoner sections. Relatives of some of the prisoners contacted Newsday to complain that their loved ones have been denied medication with people at the infirmary saying that medical supplies have run out.

An aggrieved relative said, “Not only do they have a shortage of medication at dispensaries in the hospitals but this problem has now reached the prisons and is even worse as prisoners are being told there is no medicine. And there is nothing we on the outside can do to alleviate the suffering of our jailed loved ones.” Another relative said the lack of medical supplies is affecting all prisoners especially those with diabetes or high and low blood pressure. Without a constant supply of medication for these ailments, the relative said, prisoners could die.

“We know they are prisoners but they are human being as well and should not be treated like animals.

They deserve to be given their medication and if we have to protest in front of the Ministry of National Security to get our message across, we will,” a relative said.

Other relatives claimed that the airing out time (time outside of the prison cell) for prisoners has been reduced and in some cases suspended, leading to much frustration and resentment.

Efforts to reach Prisons Commissioner William Alexander yesterday for a comment proved futile as a call placed to his officer went unanswered