Caring For Those Who Thought No One Cared

In addition to the depression, despair and loneliness experienced by most prisoners, many also suffer from untreated medical ailments, including tuberculosis, malaria, skin disorders, joint problems and dental diseases. Medical treatment for these prisoners is often unavailable or delayed. In response to this need, Prison Fellowship International organised a team of medical doctors from Germany, Canada and New Zealand as part of PFI‘s Global Assistance Programme. Medical doctors and professionals volunteered their services and traveled to Papua New Guinea where they worked in six prisons, treating more than 800 prisoners.  Conditions in each prison varied, in part due to their location. While some were well equipped, many had unsanitary conditions, which contributed to the prisoners‘ medical problems. The medical team met with the directors of the prisons and the national Secretary of Health to  provide recommendations on dietary and sanitary issues, in order to prevent future health problems within the prisons.  Not knowing what to expect, the doctors found the experience both enriching and rewarding. Dr. Patrick Mulhern of New Zealand spoke of the very “real difference” they made in the lives of people who “thought no one cared.” Dr. Mulhern and his colleagues were also grateful for the opportunity to treat conditions rarely seen in their home practices.