ISCC PRISONERS DENIED OTC MEDS ONCE THEY COMPLAIN OF COVID-19 SYMPTOMS
Although prisoners are encouraged by IDOC administrators to report symptoms of the coronavirus to medical staff, doing so guarantees that not only will the prisoner be quarantined, so will his cell partner, and neither will be provided over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, Tylenol, cough suppressant or anti-nausea meds.
Days after submitting a Health Services Request (HSR) complaining of nausea, headache, dry cough and severe lethargy, Dale Shackelford was tested for COVID-19 by medical staff. At the time he was tested, Shackelford - who had been locked in his cell for 2 weeks - asked for OTC meds to relieve the symptoms. Medical staff then advised Shackelford that prisoners would not be issued any such medications by the medical department which might mask their ongoing symptoms, but that the items could be purchased on commissary.
There are several things wrong with this scenario. First, Shackelford was being tested for COVID-19, so masking his symptoms so as to prevent suspicion that he might have been exposed to the virus would not be an issue. Second, if the (same) items are sold through the commissary, and are allowed, why wouldn't the same items not be provided through the medical department? Finally, with the first possible commissary delivery being almost a week away (even if one had the money to purchase the grossly overpriced commissary OTC meds), why would the medical department force a man to sit - locked in a cell - with absolutely no relief from what are assuredly miserable symptoms, whether the symptoms stemmed from allergies, cold, flu or the COVID-19 virus?
In addition to denying OTC meds only AFTER a prisoner reports COVID-19 symptoms, the medical department then places the cell (not just the prisoner, but the cell) on a Positive COVID-19 Quarantine list, even though their test results have not come back. Although this is an understandable tactic, being on this list inexplicably means that the prisoners in the cell are denied showers or telephone calls until nearly midnight (or later) and other opportunities, sometimes including hot meals. Were this to prevent contact with other prisoners or staff, then no objection would be registered, however, because the unit is on lockdown and contact between prisoners is prohibited in any event, the denial of showers at regular times is unreasonable.
Nearly a week after testing, and several requests (including another HSR) and nobody from the medical department will talk to Shackelford, answer the HSR, or advise when the results from the test might come in. Until then, and maybe days after, Shackelford sits in the cell with no OTC meds which might relieve symptoms of what is quite likely the common cold or flu. Meanwhile, other prisoners have seen the result of self-reporting, and refuse to do so in an effort to save money enough to purchase their own OTC meds before they too are stuck in medical oblivion.
Ironically, prisoners who have not been tested for COVID-19 who live on F block are not only provided OTC meds upon request, they are being allowed to work both in and outside the unit. Indeed, the majority of prisoners on F block have yet to be tested (as of this writing). Until the ISCC can pull some logic out of their... hat, its quite likely that facility administrators will never get the COVID-19 situation under control.
Days after submitting a Health Services Request (HSR) complaining of nausea, headache, dry cough and severe lethargy, Dale Shackelford was tested for COVID-19 by medical staff. At the time he was tested, Shackelford - who had been locked in his cell for 2 weeks - asked for OTC meds to relieve the symptoms. Medical staff then advised Shackelford that prisoners would not be issued any such medications by the medical department which might mask their ongoing symptoms, but that the items could be purchased on commissary.
There are several things wrong with this scenario. First, Shackelford was being tested for COVID-19, so masking his symptoms so as to prevent suspicion that he might have been exposed to the virus would not be an issue. Second, if the (same) items are sold through the commissary, and are allowed, why wouldn't the same items not be provided through the medical department? Finally, with the first possible commissary delivery being almost a week away (even if one had the money to purchase the grossly overpriced commissary OTC meds), why would the medical department force a man to sit - locked in a cell - with absolutely no relief from what are assuredly miserable symptoms, whether the symptoms stemmed from allergies, cold, flu or the COVID-19 virus?
In addition to denying OTC meds only AFTER a prisoner reports COVID-19 symptoms, the medical department then places the cell (not just the prisoner, but the cell) on a Positive COVID-19 Quarantine list, even though their test results have not come back. Although this is an understandable tactic, being on this list inexplicably means that the prisoners in the cell are denied showers or telephone calls until nearly midnight (or later) and other opportunities, sometimes including hot meals. Were this to prevent contact with other prisoners or staff, then no objection would be registered, however, because the unit is on lockdown and contact between prisoners is prohibited in any event, the denial of showers at regular times is unreasonable.
Nearly a week after testing, and several requests (including another HSR) and nobody from the medical department will talk to Shackelford, answer the HSR, or advise when the results from the test might come in. Until then, and maybe days after, Shackelford sits in the cell with no OTC meds which might relieve symptoms of what is quite likely the common cold or flu. Meanwhile, other prisoners have seen the result of self-reporting, and refuse to do so in an effort to save money enough to purchase their own OTC meds before they too are stuck in medical oblivion.
Ironically, prisoners who have not been tested for COVID-19 who live on F block are not only provided OTC meds upon request, they are being allowed to work both in and outside the unit. Indeed, the majority of prisoners on F block have yet to be tested (as of this writing). Until the ISCC can pull some logic out of their... hat, its quite likely that facility administrators will never get the COVID-19 situation under control.