Irene Testa, regional guarantor of people deprived of liberty, urgently calls for immediate intervention. In his recent visit to the Uta prison he verified "the situation of extreme precariousness and violation of human rights towards some people deprived of personal freedom, in particular with regards to healthcare".

There are around 655 prisoners "forced to live in a situation of overcrowding and serious discomfort, deprived of the right healthcare provided for by the rules".

Testa explains that he has ascertained that in just one section there are four inmates confined to wheelchairs and one on crutches: «The only cell set up for disabilities is insufficient to meet everyone's needs, forcing the other inmates to live in conditions of illegality and to rely on cellmates for the most basic daily activities", continues the guarantor.

«The architectural barriers in the cells translate into a series of insurmountable daily difficulties, such as access to toilets and the possibility of showering safely. This humiliating and degrading situation puts the physical and mental health of prisoners at risk." And, another emergency is the concrete danger of the 118 service being canceled, "which throws not only prisoners but also their families into panic".

Testa therefore calls for "immediate intervention on the part of the competent authorities to guarantee the full right to health" and that "the cells for the disabled be brought up to standard and that the institute be immediately provided with adequate healthcare personnel to manage treatment dignified and adequate for all prisoners with physical and mental disabilities".

(Unioneonline/ss)