Prison C.E.O. Says Facility is Capable of Tending to Diabetic Inmates

On Thursday, attorney Arthur Saldivar, on behalf of his client, Oscar Selgado, questioned the fitness of the Belize Central Prison when it comes to the care of inmates who are diabetic.  Selgado, an attorney-at-law, has been found guilty of abetment to commit murder and is awaiting sentencing in the High Court.  His health condition, however, is of serious concern because Selgado complains that the facility isn’t adequately addressing his illness and his health continues to deteriorate while incarcerated.  Earlier today when we visited the prison, we spoke with Chief Executive Officer Virgilio Murillo, who took the stand yesterday to attest to the prison’s capability of tending to inmates living with diabetes.

 

 

Virgilio Murillo, C.E.O., Kolbe Foundation

“They always say the proof is in the eating of the pudding.  As far as I am aware and as far as my belief goes, my opinion and my thought goes, it‘s all about sensationalism and I will not pay much attention to that.  We can be tested and I am sure we‘re going to pass with flying colors.  We have diabetics in this prison who have been diabetics for the last twelve years and counting.”

 

Marion Ali

“Two have died.”

 

Virgilio Murillo

“Two have died.  It has nothing to do with the prison.  I don‘t know how I prevent a person from dying when they choose by their own free will to stop eating because of depression.  I can‘t open their mouth and feed them like a bird.  It doesn‘t work that way.”

 

Marion Ali

“But the report that Mr. Selgado gave is that the person he was assigned to or the medical officer assigned to him that day was a fellow prisoner.”

 

Virgilio Murillo

“That‘s a practice that was practiced in prisons all over the world.  These people are not less of a human being because they have come to prison, let us understand that first and foremost.  They have the capability to be trained in different fields and sciences and all of that.  They are very brilliant people, they just made mistakes and got caught and they are here to pay the consequences.”