RAMALLAH, February 19, 2011 (WAFA) - Minister of Prisoners Affairs Issa Qaraqe said on Saturday that the situation of sick Palestinian prisoners in Ramla prison hospital near Tel Aviv in Israel is increasing in difficulty due to the policy of medical negligence and delays in conducting necessary surgeries.

He added that 100 cases of sick prisoners arrive at the prison hospital monthly from different prisons. Most do not undergo the required medical examination, which adds to the incidence of disease among them.

Mohammed Ansawi said that most medications given are painkillers, and that the presence of large numbers of chronically ill prisoners results in psychological stress as they have no one to assist them in moving, eating and taking their medicines.

He said that the sick prisoners demand to be taken to a ward with suitable conditions and be allowed to bring in clothing and doctors from outside the prison.

He expressed his concern at the situation of sick prisoners, saying that attention must be given to their plight and their issue must be raised in international forums to work on releasing them.

 F.J/M.A.