Inmate Health

An 18 year old girl was recently incarcerated in Florida's Department of Corrections for approximately 3 years. Besides the treatment of inmates by correctional staff there are many issues that need to be addressed. Inmates in FL are required to follow absurd guidelines in order to see a doctor who most of the time will accuse the inmate of malingering. It is a widely accepted idea that all inmates are liars and it is that thought that makes it next to impossible for an inmate to receive adequate healthcare. During her stay in Department of Corrections, she was placed on a Public Works Squad which is pretty much where the DOC contracts out the inmates to maintenance on city or county property. These duties usually include picking up trash, cutting grass with high powered, industrial equipment that is not commonly used. Upon being placed on this work assignment she informed security and medical staff that she had sever allergies to grass and such and an allergy medication would be necessary in order to protect myself from sickness. Of course it was assumed that she was looking for a way out of this heavy duty physical labor and requests were ignored. Within a few weeks she had developed a sinus infection that would change her life forever. She went to the doctor and the infection had went to her ears and was becoming unresponsive to treatment. This infection continued to bring her down physically because of pain. Mild antibiotics were given after weeks of requests and removal from the work assignment was granted temporarily due to the persistence of her mother. She continued with her time, with ongoing medical visits and pleas for help. It was only a short time before she was needed to perform on the very same work squad she had been on when my infection began. Within a month, she had decreased vision, total loss of hearing in the more infected ear and severe respiratory distress. After a trip to the specialist, she was informed that her condition would require intense hospitalization and most likely a surgery which was not with in the states budget to pay for. Therefore she had to wait until she went home to further treat myself. She continued to harass medical staff for help and relief from the pain in her head. She asked for cultures because of the foul smelling puss lined with blood coming from her ear, but was denied. After 9 months she was sent to work release in that condition. Barely able to stand or walk, she could not hear, and her vision had become a severe problem, she requested to see the doctor for that institution. While with the medical staff at this facility, her medical clearance for work release was "pulled" and she was admitted to the infirmary with orders for antibiotic injections every 8 hours along with more medications. She stayed under the care of that facility for over a month when they finally had an idea as to what was in her head. She was told by the doctor that a culture had shown positive for MRSA in her head. She was dumbfounded and couldn't believe how that got in there. But, she continued with the treatment and went back to work release. When she was released she was at the hospital within 2 days and started seeing a very prominent ENT who knew that there was way more to it than what had been recorded. Within 6 weeks she was hospitalized from the doctor's office for 84% facial paralysis and went into pre-op. She had to have her left mastoid removed due to severe bone decomposition from an untreated infection. It was only 2 weeks after the surgery that she had to be quarantined for Tuberculosis of the head. The bone from her head had been positive for Tuberculosis and showed at least 1 year of damage and progression. She's since been undergoing strict medical care and has been developing more conditions due to the damage in her head and nerves from this disease. She lives with grand mal seizures, facial paralysis, and sleep disorders because the institution failed to investigate the possibilities of this disease. Tuberculosis is one of the deadliest diseases in the world and penal institutions are required to due routine skin tests to help treat and control the spread of the disease in that environment. In 2005 there was a severe outbreak of TB at the institution she was housed at and at that time was tested and negative. At any testing for TB, there is a 3 month window that has to be followed up on with a second skin test. It was during that window that she was transferred to another facility. At that facility, where all the problems began, her positive skin tests were disregarded as skin irritation.After almost a year of rehabilitation and inquiry I found that most "doctors" placed in these institutions are not licensed but are permitted to treat inmates. Why are inmates not entitled to the same treatment as any other citizen? These "doctors" are actually appointed by a region doctor and can diagnose, treat, write prescriptions, and do anything a real doctor can do under the license of the region doctor. A lot of these "doctors" have had their licenses revoked, failed to pass state exams, or never even completed schooling. It is the right of every citizen of the US to receive adequate medical attention and to ask for tests. Why are inmates not permitted to the same? I believe we should change the medical procedure in Florida Department of Corrections and allow inmates a better chance of health. Imagine being confined, in pain, suffering because the "doctor" doesn't know hat is going on and doesn't feel it is her place to find out. Instead you suffer and beg and wait through sleepless nights and worse days until the day they tell you that you can go home. How much do you appreciate your doctor?