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| Georgia Jail Health Care Criticized |
| By Atlanta Journal-Constitution |
| Published: 02/03/2003 |
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A court-appointed inspector says some diabetic inmates haven't been getting proper doses of insulin at the DeKalb County Jail and the jail medical staff has been slow to react to potential tuberculosis and HIV cases. Dr. Robert Greifinger, a former medical director of the New York State Department of Corrections, made the criticisms in a report after visiting the jail last week. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained a copy of the report January 23. Greifinger visits the jail to monitor compliance with a 2001 settlement in a lawsuit over inmate medical care. 'The inmates with acute and chronic conditions remain at great risk to their health and to their lives,' Greifinger said in his latest report. Greifinger said one diabetic inmate received no insulin for three days and 'developed a life-threatening condition' that required emergency hospitalization. He said he reviewed the records of four other inmates with diabetes that was 'seriously out of control.' Two had foot ulcers, and 'none have had insulin adjustments to get them in control,' according to the report. Ken Fields, a spokesman for Correctional Medical Services, the company contracted to provide jail medical care, said it was not clear if some of the diabetic inmates Greifinger cited were recent arrivals. Fields said Greifinger did not look at a cross-section of diabetic inmates. He said 125 diabetic inmates 'are seen regularly, and their blood sugar levels are being monitored and addressed.' Fields said CMS officials do not agree with Greifinger's assertion that no HIV tests had been offered at the jail since Dec. 25. He said he could not comment specifically on five cases in which Greifinger said CMS did not appropriately follow up on chest X-rays 'suspicious for tuberculosis.' Fields said CMS has hired a physician and a nurse specializing in infectious diseases, and CMS employees 'are appropriately identifying conditions of patients at that facility.' DeKalb Sheriff Thomas Brown said he did not agree with parts of the report and that jail medical care is improving overall. |
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