Medical Neglect to Irish republican POW at Portlaoise

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Wednesday October 08, 2008 20:07 by Saoirse Saoirse at irishfreedomcommittee dot net

Aidan Hulme in severe pain and neglect

"Alarming concern has been expressed for the continuing medical condition of republican prisoner Aidan Hulme in Portlaoise Prison.
Following a visit from a doctor it was observed that Aidan's toes on his injured leg had turned black giving rise to fears of possible
gangrene. The doctor relayed to the Prison Governor that Aidan should be seen by a consultant in this field as a medical imperative. The Governor has stated that Aidan's case would be prioritized but as of yet no decisive action has been taken.

Portlaosie prison

Irish Freedom Committee Action Alert
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net

MEDICAL EMERGENCY AT PORTLAOISE PRISON
Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Prisoners welfare activists in Ireland have alerted us to a shocking downturn in the medical condition of Irish republican POW Aidan Hulme. Please read:

"Alarming concern has been expressed for the continuing medical condition of republican prisoner Aidan Hulme in Portlaoise Prison.
Following a visit from a doctor it was observed that Aidan's toes on his injured leg had turned black giving rise to fears of possible
gangrene. The doctor relayed to the Prison Governor that Aidan should be seen by a consultant in this field as a medical imperative. The Governor has stated that Aidan's case would be prioritized but as of yet no decisive action has been taken.

"Aidan is currently on twenty one tablets a day and requires the use of morphine patches to alleviate pain. His complexion has turned yellow
which may indicate liver damage as a result of the high dosage of medication. He is currently confined to bed twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week."

We urge all recipients of this email to waste no time in contacting the addresses below; by email, phone and letter, to urge immediate attention
for Aidan's medical emergency. This is no longer a situation that can be medicated away with pain killing tablets. Aidan's injured leg has been an ongoing case of medical neglect for far too long.
Please write to the addresses below, using the sample letter or your own words, and please forward this email to friends and colleagues.

- The Irish Freedom Committee

-------------------------

SAMPLE LETTER – PLEASE CONTACT (copy and paste or use your own
words)

Department of Justice
Dermot Ahern
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Pinebrook House
71–74 Harcourt Street
Dublin 2
Phone: + 353 1 602-8202
Email: [email]info@justice.ie[/email]

Irish Prison Service
IDA Business Park,
Ballinalee Road,
Longford, Co. Longford
Tel: +353 43 35100
Fax: +353 43 35101
Email: [email]info@irishprisons.ie[/email]

Governor Mr. T.J. Walsh
Portlaoise Prison
Dublin Road,
Portlaoise, Co. Laois.
Tel: 0502 21318
Fax: 0502 20997
Email: [email]info@irishprisons.ie[/email]

To whom it may concern,

I am writing with grave concerns for the shocking downturn in the medical condition of Aidan
Hulme, a Republican political prisoner held at Portlaoise Prison.

A recent doctor's visit to Aidan has confirmed that Aidan's leg injury has deteriorated to the point that his toes are now black, giving rise to fears of possible gangrene. The doctor has recommended that Aidan be seen by a medical consultant in this field, yet the prison governor, Mr T.J. Walsh, has not yet acted on this extremely urgent matter.

We are appalled at this ongoing situation of medical neglect at Portlaoise prison. Aidan Hulme desperately needs surgery, not more pills. Currently he is taking 20 tablets for pain per day. He is confined to bed 24/7. He has made numerous complaints and requests for surgical attention to the Portlaoise prison governor and to the medical officer, but has only received more pain pills in response. His complexion is now yellow from the morphine patch, and this may well
indicate liver damage from the excessive pain medication he has been put on.

You will recall, as I do, the 2001 death of another Republican prisoner, Kevin Murray, who had also made numerous complaints and requests for
medical attention. Like Aidan, all that Kevin Murray received from Portlaoise doctors were tablets. When the massive brain tumor was
finally discovered, it was far too late to operate, and Kevin was released to hospice to die.

Please allow Aidan Hulme the urgent specialist care that he requires. Under international Human Rights laws including the Geneva Convention
for the Treatment of Prisoners of War; the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Aidan Hulme is entitled to the same comforts of any Irish citizen while in your care.

Please advise. The favor of a response is requested.

Thank you,

NAME/ADDRESS

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More info:

AIDAN AND ROBERT HULME
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/POWs/Aidan_Robert_...D.htm

WHY WAS KEVIN MURAY ALLOWED TO DIE?
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/POWs/kmurray.htm

Remember Vol. Kevin Murray — died as a direct result of total medical
neglect for a massive brain tumor in 2001. Not again!!

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SUPPORT THE FAMILIES OF IRISH REPUBLICAN POLITICAL PRISONERS!
Join the Irish Freedom Committee
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/

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Aidan Hulme