Pandemic A(H1N1) Hits Bang Kwang Central Prison

[george]

Pandemic A(H1N1) active inside Bang Kwang Central Prison

By John Le Fevre

BANGKOK: -- A British national in Thailand’s infamous Bang Kwang Central Prison has written to the charity Prisoners Abroad asking if it or the British Embassy in Bangkok has plans to pay for the flu treatment drug Tamiflu (also sold under the generic name oseltamivir), for jailed Brits in Thailand.

According to the prisoner, who requested his name not be divulged, as of July 13 two prisoners and one prison guard had died from the pandemic A(H1N1) virus, originally termed swine flu, with at least one other guard at that time “seriously ill” in hospital.

The author says he believes the Thai Department of Corrections has issued instructions that face masks are to be worn by all staff and prisoners, “though non-Thai prisoners have to pay Bt100 (about $US3) for each mask”.

The author said he was “aware that all medication for foreign prisoners must be sourced and paid for by their respective embassies” and he “wondered if the British Embassy in Thailand has a contigency plan in place?”.

The email goes on to say, “the conditions inside Thai prisons are very harsh and the health of a lot of the prisoners incarcerated is not good, with many also suffering with tuberculosis”.

The prisoner says he suspects that prison hospitals “are not equipped to handle the influx that this epidemic could cause” and pleaded for help in securing the anti-flu drug on behalf of all British passport holders currently incarcerated in Thailand.

Over the weekend the Public Health Ministry announced that people with pandemic A(H1N1) symptoms will be able to obtain the locally produced oseltamivir free of charge at state and private clinics as of today, while disclosing the cost of manufacturing the drug was Bt25 (about $US0.73) each.

The Government has not made any public announcement whether the free treatment will be extended to foreigners who fall ill in Thailand from pandemic A(H1N1), or whether the anti-viral drug will be supplied to prisoners in its jails.

Thailand is reported to currently have enough oseltamivir to treat 10 percent of the population, with a further 60 million tablets being produced.

As of last Wednesday Thailand had recorded 65 deaths due to pandemic A(H1N1) and 8,877 infections.

-- thaivisa.com 2009-08-03

[skettios]

Swine flu can't get me through my tin-foil hat!

[thaibkk]

the CIA should have started their virus in a mexican prison and not pig farm... would be nice if jails all over the world would be clensed from the worst of the worst (that is cought and convicted)...

Thailand ready with 10% of the population... New world order also wants to decimate the world populating by 90% ...

co-insidence ?

[coconutmonkey]

I don't agree with the theories entirely. I think aquiring a few certain minerals are more interest at the moment.

And, as for the prisoners, they are not an accurate sample.

Find these documentaries:

1. Money Masters (intense documentary)
   
2. Wake up call (sesationalized, but very informative after the main title... long intro)
   
3. All BRITISH should check out 77 ripple effect (in London)
   
4. and Illuminating Angels and demons (not the wussy movie or book by Dan Brown)
   

[OxfordWill]

........right

[wrecker]

If the latter is through, and foreigners do have to pay for their medication, the Thai government would be guilty (and not for the first time) of manslaughter in case someone dies, whose dead could have been prevented if medicines were supplied. I suppose that the International Red Cross will discuss these kind of issues with the Thai government.

If life saving or potential life saving medicines are withheld from any person in the kingdom for the reason of payment, the Thai authorities are in serious breach of their international obligation.

I can't however imagine that this is the case. It is far more likely that there simply are no medicines available at all. Not for Thai prisoners, not for foreigners and unfortunately also not for visitors and guards who will mingle with regular citizens. Prisoners are worth nothing in thailand unless they get attention from foreign media in such case the angry outside world and the lingering loss of face is mostly enough to get the Thai governments going.

[animatic]

Well some people do go to jail for accidents, or wrong place wrong time.

Not from intentional acts, just back luck or bad friends.

Who would wish those unfortunates death for bad luck twice?

I think this is a very good question for this prisoner to ask, and UK should address it.

[mrtoad]

Considering the slimey foreign ministers statements about embassy not being a mother, father etc...I think the prisoner is shit out of luck.

[Guderian]

100 Baht for a face mask??? I thought they were giving them away free in Bangkok? It seems that even when you're banged up in Bang Kwam, you're still nothing but a walking ATM to the Thais.

[barry]

ANOTHER EXCELLENT REASON TO STAY OUT OF PRISON

first SARS

then bird flu

now swine flu

the next one should be the clincher as the human race continues to self-destruct

[endure]

I don't agree with the theories entirely. I think aquiring a few certain minerals are more interest at the moment.

And, as for the prisoners, they are not an accurate sample.

Find these documentaries:

1. Money Masters (intense documentary)
   
2. Wake up call (sesationalized, but very informative after the main title... long intro)
   
3. All BRITISH should check out 77 ripple effect (in London)
   
4. and Illuminating Angels and demons (not the wussy movie or book by Dan Brown)
   

[samui34samui]

Any proof of what the guy is saying about the flu and mask? Or just an "email"?

[CHINWA]

100 Baht for a face mask??? I thought they were giving them away free in Bangkok? It seems that even when you're banged up in Bang Kwam, you're still nothing but a walking ATM to the Thais.

1. to charge that amount to a prisoner (no matter how he got cought) is a crime.

2. The use of mask is far from being safe to the person who use it unless the user is careful enough to throw it away once it is removed. The WHO have been informing everyone how to wear the mask but then the TV does the opposite. Today on TV one lady only was wearing a mask among lots of people. Later she opened her purse, picked up a candy and put it in her mouth after using the same 2 fingers to lift the mask... in most cases it's probably a question of fashion the use of those unconfortable masks!

[Mario2008]

"funny" comment deleted.

Edit:

The response to it too.

[Satayu]

<br />Any proof of what the guy is saying about the flu and mask? Or just an "email"?<br />

<br /><br /><br />

It is without a doubt true.

Even stuff sent in to us by embassies wasn't given to us for free, no cigerettes in payment no goods.

I watched the Prince of Lichtenstein die slowly in our building after he was refused his diabetic medicine.

Very sad but very true, your life is worthless in a Bangkok Prison.

[ukrules]

It as only a matter of time before it reaches the prison which will be the perfect place for it to spread. I mentioned in a post a few weeks back that a riot had been caused in a US prison by a few of cases of swine flu.

If they start pulling lots of untreated people out in body bags there will be quite an uproar both locally and internationally.

It will show the system up for what it is, either efficient and professional or inept and unprepared, I know which outcome my money is on.

[DutchPAD]

If the latter is through, and foreigners do have to pay for their medication, the Thai government would be guilty (and not for the first time) of manslaughter in case someone dies, whose dead could have been prevented if medicines were supplied. I suppose that the International Red Cross will discuss these kind of issues with the Thai government.

If life saving or potential life saving medicines are withheld from any person in the kingdom for the reason of payment, the Thai authorities are in serious breach of their international obligation.

I can't however imagine that this is the case. It is far more likely that there simply are no medicines available at all. Not for Thai prisoners, not for foreigners and unfortunately also not for visitors and guards who will mingle with regular citizens. Prisoners are worth nothing in thailand unless they get attention from foreign media in such case the angry outside world and the lingering loss of face is mostly enough to get the Thai governments going.

Sure, other countries like UK, US of aids and hundreds more torture and kill people for fun, none of the guy's in Bang-Kwan are sitting innocent, tell me, been there done that!! so what the hel_l the heroine they wanted to smuggle could kill, the people they raped, killed, slaugthered, &lt;deleted&gt; them?? no you chose to get the risk to end up there, the sigh on entering the country warns you that trafficing can cost your life, why would they get help on humanity while our western governments kill in name of GOD???

[ukrules]

Sure, other countries like UK, US of aids and hundreds more torture and kill people for fun, none of the guy's in Bang-Kwan are sitting innocent, tell me, been there done that!! so what the hel_l the heroine they wanted to smuggle could kill, the people they raped, killed, slaugthered, &lt;deleted&gt; them?? no you chose to get the risk to end up there, the sigh on entering the country warns you that trafficing can cost your life, why would they get help on humanity while our western governments kill in name of GOD???

You can judge a people by the way in which they treat their helpless minorities, those who have no say in what happens to them and who are unable through various circumstances to help themselves. In this case I'm referring to prisoners, refugees and the very poor. I suspect that if a major outbreak happened these aforementioned groups would be left to their own devices without treatment. This appears to be the plan as Thailand appears to be ordering enough anti viral drigs to treat only a small proportion of the population. They mention millions of doses in their press releases, it would be more informative if they report how many 'courses' of tablets they are ordering rather than just the number of tablets. These antivirals require a course of 10 doses per person.

[DickFarang]

He should send his request to the Hilton Headquarters.

[robertsonmartin]

Why do prisoners in Bang Kwang Central Prison have access to email?

[nakachalet]

satayu--can you show me some proof please. like to do something for the ON (do you know what it means? even though i do not know any of them.)

QUOTE (samui34samui @ 2009-08-03 18:56:19)

<br />Any proof of what the guy is saying about the flu and mask? Or just an "email"?<br /><br /><br /><br />

It is without a doubt true.

Even stuff sent in to us by embassies wasn't given to us for free, no cigerettes in payment no goods.

I watched the Prince of Lichtenstein die slowly in our building after he was refused his diabetic medicine.

Very sad but very true, your life is worthless in a Bangkok Prison.

satayu--can you show me some proof please. like to do something for the ON (do you know what it means?) even though i do not personally know any of them, neither do i know about their innocence or guilt, but then i am not too concerned about that either. in hkg, masks are provided free to all prisoners regardless, even the worst of the very worsts.... amen.

[webfact]

Why do prisoners in Bang Kwang Central Prison have access to email?

Let me guess...some visitors from the outside world have access?

[coconutmonkey]

Why do prisoners in Bang Kwang Central Prison have access to email?

Let me guess...some visitors from the outside world have access?

Yes, Ian Fleming!

Would you eat the medicine?

[rueben]

Sure, other countries like UK, US of aids and hundreds more torture and kill people for fun, none of the guy's in Bang-Kwan are sitting innocent, tell me, been there done that!! so what the hel_l the heroine they wanted to smuggle could kill, the people they raped, killed, slaugthered, &lt;deleted&gt; them?? no you chose to get the risk to end up there, the sigh on entering the country warns you that trafficing can cost your life, why would they get help on humanity while our western governments kill in name of GOD???

You can judge a people by the way in which they treat their helpless minorities, those who have no say in what happens to them and who are unable through various circumstances to help themselves. In this case I'm referring to prisoners, refugees and the very poor. I suspect that if a major outbreak happened these aforementioned groups would be left to their own devices without treatment. This appears to be the plan as Thailand appears to be ordering enough anti viral drigs to treat only a small proportion of the population. They mention millions of doses in their press releases, it would be more informative if they report how many 'courses' of tablets they are ordering rather than just the number of tablets. These antivirals require a course of 10 doses per person.

[zzaa09]

the CIA should have started their virus in a mexican prison and not pig farm... would be nice if jails all over the world would be clensed from the worst of the worst (that is cought and convicted)...

Thailand ready with 10% of the population... New world order also wants to decimate the world populating by 90% ...

co-insidence ?

Same as it ever was.....

[Grey11]

Any proof of what the guy is saying about the flu and mask? Or just an "email"?

Just how effective are those masks? I have heard different opinions from doctors, government officials, etc. from various countries.

Could it be that those pushing the use of the masks have a personal investment in the company(ies) that are making them? Thai government officials are telling the people - through the media - that homemade masks are not safe. What company has the monopoly on the sale of these masks in Thailand? That would be interesting to know. Follow the money trail.

[barry51]

"You can judge a people by the way in which they treat their helpless minorities, those who have no say in what happens to them and who are unable through various circumstances to help themselves. In this case I'm referring to prisoners, refugees and the very poor."

Prisoners are not helpless minorities. They have chosen to break the laws of the people and rightly so have no say in what happens to them. The majority of prisoners are young men and therefore should be last on the list to receive medicine for swine flu.

[Satayu]

They have chosen to break the laws of the people and rightly so have no say in what happens to them. The majority of prisoners are young men and therefore should be last on the list to receive medicine for swine flu.

\

More than 70% of all the 5,000 prisoners in Bangkok Special Prison are awaiting court and judgment.

They have NOT been sentenced and have NOT been given any chance to prove or show their innocence.

This can take years with the system here.

I seriously believe someone is innocent until proven guilty, but it seems your judgment is just to kill them all if their unfortunate enough to be waiting their court case in jail.

Which Embassy do you work for ?

[Scott]

Might be a good time to NOT crackdown on the people smuggling drugs into prisons. The drug they may start smuggling is Tamiflu.

On a more serious note, however, when you deprive people of their freedom, whether justified or not, you assume a certain responsibility for their care. In a country such as Thailand, that would include food and medicine since the country is not too poor to provide it.

As someone else mentioned, there are a lot of people awaiting trial. They haven't been convicted of anything.

[ukrules]

Prisoners are not helpless minorities. They have chosen to break the laws of the people and rightly so have no say in what happens to them. The majority of prisoners are young men and therefore should be last on the list to receive medicine for swine flu.

They are helpless in the respect that their ability to help themselves in this situation has been taken away, there is no denying that.

What they did to end up in their current predicament is largely irrelevant to this argument. They have been sentenced to a period of confinement, not death by disease, infection and lack of proper treatment.

Regarding young men being last in line for treatment, I fail to see why this should be the case, do you have something against young men ? Is this some chivalrous attitude from days long gone which you would like to force onto other people or are you just misinformed about the ages of the people whom this disease is killing ?

I'm going to presume here that you are not in the group of 'young men' who should be last in line for treatment, correct me if I'm wrong.

If it progresses in a similar manner to that of the 1918 H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic it will be the young people with good healthy immune systems who will be most at risk due to the 'Cytokine Storm' reaction which is thought to have killed many of the young and otherwise healthy victims back then.

This particular flu appears to be hospitalising and killing a disproportionately larger number of young healthy people than other recent flu epidemics.