"You can't physically walk in this state." Volha Loika spoke about medical care in a pre-trial detention center
As part of the Week of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus, Viasna has prepared a number of videos where former political prisoners share their stories about sub-standard and untimely medical care in places of detention. Volha Loika, the editor-in-chief of Plan B and a former political prisoner, spoke about the "quarantine" in a pre-trial detention center and medical care for kidney problems.
"There are many people there who cannot really explain what is happening to them, who do not know anything about themselves, about their health. Everyone is afraid of dental problems there, because no one will treat them there: the waiting list is too long. In a pre-trial detention center, they promise everyone: "You will surely get treatment in the colony," but they say that it is no better in the colony.
The most useful thing I did before going to the pre-trial detention center was getting vaccinated against COVID and flu. It so happened that half of the pre-trial detention center was sick at the same time, and it was completely unclear what to do about it, since there are no special medicines. Essentially, there is only quarantine, whose guidelines cannot be followed, because people always have some needs that do not allow them to say that we will just sit in a cell. People want to have walks. People want to meet with their lawyers. They were very sick, for a long time. Almost the whole cell was sick, except for me, because I was vaccinated.
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It is difficult to get medical help. I was probably lucky, because I basically knew some of my health problems and could explain them very clearly and in detail, and I understood what was wrong with me from the symptoms. In the pre-trial detention center, my kidney problem worsened. And I do not recommend having renal colic in a pre-trial detention center. It's really hard to do anything with it. The doctors came quickly, they injected a painkiller, but it does not work on this condition. They didn't give me a certificate that exempts me from walking, but one of the girls had it, and I managed not to go outside for a couple of days simply because you can't physically walk in this state. They ran tests, prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs, and injected antibiotics for several days. Thanks for that. If you also have pyelonephritis, then you can come out in a completely deplorable state."
Watch the video on Viasna Tik-Tok
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