Saldivar Says There’s a Hypoglycemic Crisis at the Prison

According to attorney Saldivar, two past inmates have succumbed to diabetes related complications within a year of being incarcerated at the Belize Central Prison.  He says that too little blood sugar has become a crisis at the prison.

 

Arthur Saldivar , Attorney-at-law

“One cannot be confident that in person in Mr. Selgado’s condition could really survive.  Both Abadi and Coye died within a year and when it’s being admitted that there’s only one doctor and that doctor is not there all the time, it really gives pause to any right thinking person.  Better must be done.  This is a privately managed facility and I don’t appreciate them saying it’s a non-profit because they get paid.”

 

Reporter

“Yet, the CEO says an ambulance is on standby and he also said that they have a Whatsapp group.  If the doctor assigned to the prison does not respond immediately when there is an emergency with a patient then they take the patient by ambulance to a hospital in Belize City.”

 

Arthur Saldivar

“But the doctor also tells you there is a hypoglycemic crisis, within thirty minutes, in the worst [case] scenario, that person may be dead.”

 

Reporter

“Yes, but they are saying that they can manage the patients, they do have the ability to check their glucose levels, their blood levels and such.  So you don’t have a patient who would reach that stage and also, they say family for the inmates can take food for them.”

 

Arthur Saldivar

“All that sounds well and good when they are saying it here.  But we know that what is said and what is practiced are many times wide apart in terms of the reality of the situation.”