Hospital escapes worry CS official

National
Source:
The National,Monday June 20th, 2016

THERE is a lot of concern raised about prisoners escaping from custody when attending medical treatment at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
Southern region Correctional Service assistant commissioner Henry Wavik said escapes occurred despite their attempts to prevent the situation.
“I will put all measures out to stop prisoners from trying to look at ways to escape from the hospital,” he said.
Wavik said in the past they lost lost track of a couple of prisoners who simply walked out from the hospital when receiving treatment.
“One recent one was a very notorious prisoner. He was taken to the hospital to undergo x-ray and when in the x-ray room he walked out and escaped because the guard was not there,” he said.
“I want to make it clear that prisoners must be given priority when they go to the hospital and are in a secured facility (room) while they wait before and after receiving treatment.”
But unfortunately Wavik said there were no secured places at the hospital premises for prisoners to be kept before or after they receive treatment.
H said there was shortage of manpower to cater for the number of inmates that were in prison.
“Only one CS officer is allocated to look after a number of sick prisoners when they are taken to the hospital,” he said.
Wavik raised the concerns during a court user forum at Kwikila, Central last Friday.
It is understood almost every year there is usually a big number of prisoners  escaping and the community is concerned with that.

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