The United Nations Committee on Torture expresses worry, in April 2016, concerning the lack of medical care in prisons. It is possible to consult a doctor, but impossible to gain access to a psychologist.
A plan was implemented to allow prisoners to access doctors on the outside and obtain medical treatment at their own expense, but the Minister of Justice put an end to it, following allegations of abuse and corruption.
Physical health care
The most common diseases in prison are cholera and tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is four to five times more prevalent in prisons than on the outside, where even there it causes 63 Philippino deaths per day.
Overcrowding, lack of ventilation, and lack of drinking water lead to the spread of disease. Prisoners died of tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases1.
The Red Cross, from March to May 2016 supports the largest mass screening campagne in the country for tuberculosis. 5,700 persons detained in the New Bilibid prison are tested. The screening takes place in the context of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) program, which aims to end tuberculosis in the world by 2035. Persons found to be ill are sent to the hospital.
