Medical Referral for Sick Prisoners

Abstract

A patient has the right to medical treatment and referral to appropriate medical care facilities, when the patient is in a state of emergency, or in a situation of exceeding the capacity of health care.  It is the right of patients to receive equal care in public health.  The state must provide equal protection under human rights principles, to prevent the danger of illnesses.  Most inmates are Thai people, with 13-digit identification number, which will be entitled to medical treatment as well as the general public's right to health insurance, including other health treatment rights, such as social security rights, Civil servant rights, including budget allocation from the Department of Corrections. to provide health care for inmates of foreign countries.  Thai inmates do not have these rights (no 13-digit identification number).  When Thai inmates get sick, prison medical facility will provide basic medical care.  For cases with severe symptoms, medical personnel will report to the prison director, for considerations to be sent out to appropriate external medical facilities.  The guidelines for sending sick prisoners for external treatment are quite specifics, because of being inmates.  There are safety factors to be concerned, to prevent the escape of sick prisoners.  This affects the acceptance of hospital admissions. In order to promote and protect the human rights of inmates, particularly the problems and obstacles of sending prisoners to be treated in external medical facilities as outpatients, the cooperation of the Ministry of Public Health and the Department of Corrections is very important in solving these problems.  This is in order for inmates to have equal access to public health services, as general Thai citizen.