CRAMPED. Persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Manila City Jail in Manila undergo an inspection in this Dec. 5, 2023 photo. The BJMP on Wednesday (April 10, 2024) said no PDLs were hospitalized amid recorded cases of summer diseases in jails under its supervision. (PNA file photo by Yancy Lim)
MANILA – No persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) were hospitalized amid reported cases of summer diseases and other ailments in jail facilities, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) said on Wednesday.
In a message to reporters, BJMP spokesperson Chief Insp. Jayrex Bustinera said a total of 2,620 summer diseases have been recorded among PDLs in March.
Acute gastroenteritis topped the list of summer diseases among inmates with 1,466 cases, followed by boils with 600 cases and gastritis with 554 cases.
Meanwhile, 2,578 cases of hypertension and 1,673 toothache cases were also logged among PDLs last month.
"However, we are expecting lesser cases than last year due to the decreased population and congestion rate of our facilities. Compared to 127,000 PDLs (370 percent congestion rate) last year, we have 118,000 (334 percent congestion rate) this year," Bustinera said.
The BJMP manages 482 city, district and municipal jails nationwide, of which 326 are congested.
“Of the 482, (some) 326 jails are congested, 156 jails are not congested while another 142 facilities are newly built,” Bustinera said.
From March to May last year, the BJMP recorded some 13,269 disease cases among inmates, 4,545 of which are boils.
Bustinera reiterated that the bureau has already taken steps to address these concerns, including the installation of industrial fans, exhaust fans and air shafts in jail facilities.
Other measures, he said, include the procurement of medicines for summer-related ailments and diseases, training of nurses, recruitment of additional doctors, coordination with the fire department in case of water interruption, health education of the PDLs, and continuous implementation of jail decongestion program. (PNA)
