NCJ Number
57878
Journal
DEUTSCHES AERZTEBLATT - AERZTLICHE MITTEILUNGEN Volume: 74 Issue: 16 Dated: (APRIL 21, 1977) P 1087-1093 (REPRINT)
Date Published
1977
Length
6 pages
Annotation
A PRISON DOCTOR DESCRIBES HIS DUTIES, THE PARTICULAR MEDICAL PROBLEMS OF PRISONS, AND THE OVERLOAD OF ADMINISTRATIVE WORK IN THE WEST GERMAN PRISON OF STRAUBING.
Abstract
THE CRITICS OF PRISON MEDICINE DO NOT REALIZE THE PROBLEMS THAT 80 GERMAN PRISON DOCTORS FACE EVERY DAY. CONVICTS FREQUENTLY PROJECT THEIR HOSTILITY AGAINST AUTHORITY ON DOCTORS SO THAT THE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP IS DIFFICULT AND STRAINED. DOCTORS' MANIFOLD DUTIES RANGE FROM THE HYGIENIC SUPERVISION OF THE INSTITUTION TO DIAGNOSTICS, THERAPY, SEXUAL AND RELIGIOUS COUNSELING, PSYCHO-THERAPY, ROUTINE CHECK-UPS AND EMERGENCIES. IN THE PRISON OF STRAUBING WITH ITS 900 INMATES, AN AVERAGE OF 137 PATIENTS ARE TREATED EACH DAY. THE CARE OF SERIOUS ILLNESSES, SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESSFUL SUICIDES, INFECTIONS, (VENEREAL DISEASES AND HEPATITIS), AND CASES OF HUNGERSTRIKE IS PARTICULARLY EXPENSIVE AND TIME-CONSUMING. IN ADDITION, THE PRISON CLIMATE BREEDS ITS OWN AILMENTS WHICH ARE ESCAPE MECHANISMS AND BIDS FOR ATTENTION AT THE SAME TIME--INSOMNIA (54 PERCENT OF ALL INMATES) AND PSYCHOSOMATIC HEART AND STOMACH PROBLEMS. SINCE PRISONERS ARE GENERALLY OBSESSED WITH ORAL GRATIFICATION, DOCTORS HAVE TO TREAT NUMEROUS CASES OF EXCESS EATING, DRINKING, AND SMOKING AS WELL. IN CONCLUSION, A NUMBER OF CRITICISMS ARE STATED: (1) MANY OF THE MEDICAL SERVICES REQUIRED BY LAW ARE REALLY UNNECESSARY; (2) THE ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN ON PRISON DOCTORS IS INTOLERABLE (ESPECIALLY ANNOYING IS THE DUTY OF EVALUATING PRISONERS' COMPLAINTS WHICH OFTEN ENOUGH PROVE NOT ONLY UNWARRANTED, BUT OFFENSIVE IN LANGUAGE AND ABUSIVE TO COLLEAGUES); AND (3) PRESS AND PUBLIC OPINION SHOW TOO MUCH SYMPATHY TO CRIMINALS. FURTHERMORE, IT IS ARGUED THAT POSITIVE PUBLIC ATTITUDE REGARDING INMATES CONTRIBUTES TO THE RISING NUMBER OF CRIMES IN THE WESTERN WORLD. THE ARTICLE CONTAINS NO FOOTNOTES OR BIBLIOGRAPHY. --IN GERMAN