In Response to NHRC Recommendation, Busan Detention Center Establishes “Action Plan” for Inmates’ Medical Needs
Charging that, “while at the detention center, my wife’s left wrist was injured, but she was unable to receive proper treatment,” petitioner Kim filed a complaint against the Busan Detention Center (Busan DC) in April 2003. In January 2004, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recognized that the defendant had been negligent and issued a recommendation to the Busan DC to set in place a comprehensive system to address the medical needs of inmates.
At the time, the NHRC acknowledged that the victim’s wrist dislocation was misdiagnosed as a “sprain” and because the patient was not sent to an outside medical facility, the victim underwent great pain. On the other hand, the NHRC analyzed the root cause of the problem as the lack of medical equipment and trained personnel. Further, because the examiner did not deliberately withhold permission from seeking outside diagnoses, the NHRC issued a recommendation to the warden of Busan DC to (1) establish a comprehensive system for dealing with inmates’ medical needs, including a program to bring in outside persons trained to treat medical problems and (2) actively seek out outside medical treatment (sending detention center patients outside the center for treatment) in cases where medical problem could not be treated at the DC owing to lack of staff or equipment.
On 5 March 2004, the Busan Detention Center warden notified the Commission that an “Action Plan for Managing Patients” was set up and is currently running. The action plan includes measures: (1) to invite specialists to the detention center to treat inmates with mental illness, (2) to set up a regular program of sending patients out to receive treatment at medical facilities, and (3) to designate a room for the care of patients needing long-term attention, such as pregnant inmates.
