Demanda legal de la ACLU denuncia pésima atención médica en prisión estatal del estado de Nevada
Los reos corren el riesgo de padecer dolor, lesiones y muerte prematura
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ELY, NEVADA – La Unión de Libertades Civiles de los Estados Unidos presentó una demanda de acción de clase contra el director del Departamento de Prisiones del estado de Nevada, así como otros funcionarios con puestos elevados en el gobierno del estado, debido a que no han corregido el problema de la pésima atención médica que impera en la Prisión Estatal de Ely, la cual crea un riesgo considerable de graves daños a la salud de los 1,000 reos de la prisión. La demanda acusa que el reclusorio no cuenta ni con los elementos más básicos de un sistema de atención médica adecuado y priva a los prisioneros de las necesidades vitales más fundamentales de una sociedad civilizada.
"El estado simplemente no ha demostrado un sentido de urgencia para abordar la crisis en Ely," afirmó Amy Fettig, abogada del Proyecto Nacional de Prisiones de la ACLU. "Nos aseguraron que iban a efectuar reformas de amplio alcance para atender los problemas que les señalamos, pero eso fue hace meses y sólo han hecho gestos desganados para reparar su sistema descompuesto. Habíamos guardado la esperanza de evitar el litigio, pero no tendríamos la consciencia limpia si esperamos mucho más tiempo, con los hombres de Ely enfrentándose a tales riesgos."
La demanda del día de hoy se presenta casi tres meses después de la publicación de un informe médico que documenta cómo a los prisioneros de Ely con enfermedades graves se les denega habitualmente el tratamiento para condiciones médicas extremadamente dolorosas y potencialmente mortales. Reveló que el Dr. William Noel, el perito médico comisionado por la ACLU para investigar las condiciones de salud dentro de Ely, y autor del informe, calificó esta práctica como "un patrón de maltrato médico exacerbado."
Inmediatamente después de la publicación del informe el pasado mes de diciembre, los abogados de la ACLU propusieron en un decreto por consentimiento una serie de reformas básicas que habrían mejorado en forma dramática la atención médica en la prisión de Ely, incluyendo el cumplimiento con las normas de atención médica carcelaria reconocidas a nivel nacional. La propuesta de decreto por consentimiento fue rechazada por el Consejo de Comisionados de las Prisiones Estatales de Nevada.
El proyecto Nacional de Prisiones de la ACLU contrató a Noel para que revisará los expedientes médicos de 35 prisioneros en Ely, pues la ACLU de Nevada había estado recibiendo un número extraordinariamente elevado de quejas acerca del pésimo tratamiento médico en la prisión.
"Los reclusos de la prisión estatal de Ely nos han escrito desesperadamente en busca de ayuda y cuidado médico de buena calidad," explicó Lee Rowland, abogada del ACLU de Nevada. "Es desafortunado que haya sido necesario tomar esta medida para conseguir que los funcionarios carcelarios cumplieran con su obligación constitucional de proporcionar atención médica elemental a los reos bajo su cuidado, pero la atención médica de buena calidad es una necesidad inmediata que no se puede postergar más."
La demanda, entablada a nombre de todos los prisioneros de Ely, más de 60 de los cuales se encuentran aguardando su ejecución, se hace a nombre de seis demandantes, incluyendo a David Riker, de 36 años, quien, según la demanda, padece de artritis reumatoide y fibromialgia, las cuales provocan un dolor crónico que los deja sin fuerzas. La demanda alega que Riker nunca ha recibido ni los medicamentos ni las radiografías recetadas por un médico externo y que el personal médico de Ely le dijeron que es contrario a la política de la prisión tratar el dolor crónico.
En su informe, Noel llama a la falta de tratamiento del dolor protopático de los nervios de Riker "un infierno en vida" y asevera que le parece "sencillamente inconcebible" que un profesional de la medicina se rehusara a tratar este tipo de dolor crónico tan severo.
La ACLU nombra como partes demandadas al gobernador de Nevada, James Gibbons, al Secretario de Estado Ross Miller, a la Procuradora Catherine Cortez Masto, a Howard Skolnik, Director del Departamento de Reclusorios de Nevada (NDOC, por sus siglas en inglés), a Robert Bannister, Director Médico del NDOC y a E.K. McDaniel, alcalde de la Prisión Estatal de Ely.
"El tipo de atención médica que se proporciona en Ely se encuentra entre los más horrendos que hemos visto en cualquier sistema penitenciario que hemos observado en todo el país," dijo Margaret Winter, Directora Asociada del Proyecto Nacional de Prisiones de la ACLU. "Estamos atónitos ante el grado de sufrimiento humano que se permite allí. Aunque guardábamos la esperanza de que se pudiera colaborar con el Departamento de Reclusorios y la oficina del gobernador para encontrar solución a algunos de los problemas de mayor urgencia en Ely, esto simplemente no ha sucedido."
Otros de los demandantes en la causa incluyen a Roger Libby, de 42 años de edad, cuya solicitud para que se le reparara una hernia del tamaño de una pelota de beisbol le fue denegada; Rickey Sechrest, quien padece de iritis herpética intermitente crónica en el ojo derecho y no ha recibido tratamiento, lo cual podría provocar ceguera, y quien además no ha recibido tratamiento para su hepatitis tipo C; Terrence Brothers, de 36 años de edad, quien ha padecido de heridas abiertas en el cuero cabelludo durante 10 años sin recibir tratamiento; Jeffrey Hosmer, de 36 años de edad, quien padece de dolor crónico y agudo de la espalda y del cuello, además de entumecimiento en el costado izquierdo sin haber recibido tratamiento, y a quien se le interrumpe con frecuencia el tratamiento por trastorno bipolar, a pesar de que ha estado albergado en la enfermería de la prisión; y Mark Whittington, de 47 años de edad, quien ha estado sujeto a la constante y arbitraria interrupción de sus medicamentos y a quien se le están agotando las dosis de medicamentos que se le han recetado por sus graves condiciones de salud.
Para obtener datos adicionales acerca de los esfuerzos de la ACLU por mejorar las condiciones de atención médica en la prisión estatal de Ely, incluyendo la demanda de la ACLU, la propuesta de decreto por consentimiento, el informe médico del Dr. William Noel, una carta abierta de la ACLU al gobernador de Nevada, James Gibbons, y una carta abierta al Director del Departamento de Reclusorios de Nevada, el Director Howard Skolnik, vaya a: www.aclu.org/ely.
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