Sick detainee could lose sight while administration still denies him treatment

Sunday June 22, 2008 00:45 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

For the third year, the Israeli Prison Administration is still denying medical attention and treatment to detainee Allam Hussein Atary, 35, from Arraba town near the northern West Bank city of Jenin. Atary is now facing serious health complications and is gradually losing sight in both of his eyes.

“The life of my brother is in danger”, his sister Lubna said, “The occupation is responsible for what is happening to him and the suffering he is facing, my brother was never sick before his was kidnapped by the soldiers who broke into our home, kidnapped and interrogated him for several months”.

Atary was eventually sentenced to 25 years; he was kidnapped on June 17, 2003. The Israeli prosecution claims that he is a member of the Fateh movement and that he opened fire at Israeli forces.

Now, his condition is worse than before, the high pressure in his left eye affected his other eye but the prison administration is refusing to transfer him to a specialized eye doctor.  

His sister stated that medical negligence practiced by the prison administration caused further deterioration and now her brother is nearly blind in his left eye, and the symptoms are now affecting the right eye too.  

The family contacted Doctors Without Borders, the Mandela Institute and several other groups which defends the rights of the detainees and human rights, and finally the prison administration allowed last year a specialized eye doctor to examine him.

The doctor said in his report that Allam is gradually losing sight in his left eye and that he needs an urgent surgery or else he might also lose his right eye. He also said that the detainee is suffering from cataract and that he needs special medical attention to both of his eyes.

Physicians for Human Rights in Israel sent one of its doctors to examine Atary, and the doctor found out that Allam needs to be examined by a glaucoma specialist in a well-prepared eye clinic otherwise further complications will occur. Further tests revealed that he needs surgery in his eye.  

His sister said that all medical reports were sent to the prison administration but to no avail. The administration refused to allow Allam to be hospitalized for three months to conduct the needed procedures and instead transferred him to Galboa’ prison.

Now, Allam is in bad condition, and the administration is barring the physicians from seeing him again, which is causing further deterioration to his health conditions, especially since the administration is also baring the entry of the needed medications.       

palestine | prisoners | news report saed at imemc dot org