Heat spreads skin diseases in packed Bulacan jail

AFP FILE PHOTO

CITY OF MALOLOS—The dry season heat has worsened skin ailments among inmates of the congested Bulacan provincial jail here.

At least 400 inmates are suffering from skin boils and sores. The number represents 10 percent of the facility’s 3,330-inmate population.

Jail warden Pepito Plamenco said they have taken steps to address the problem by installing an improvised water sprinkler that ejects water for about 5 to 10 seconds every hour. This system reduces the heat in cells by 2 percent, as determined by daily temperature monitoring, he said.

The facility also gives four glasses of mineral water to inmates who do not receive regular visitors and who are unable to spend for their own drinking water supply.

Inmates are also encouraged to take baths three to four times a day and are required to go through regular hand washing regimen, said Plamenco.

The new routine is being implemented with the help of prison mayor (chieftain) Ric Ibera.

But Ibera said these measures are not enough if a jail cell designed for 50 prisoners ends up holding 100 to 150 inmates.

“Even if they all take baths, they end up squeezing together like sardines. These days, inmates take turns sleeping because some inmates end up standing in the confined space,” Ibera told Inquirer.

Willy Aldana, 56, an inmate, said he acquired his skin sore from his cellmate. “I was infected because we stay too close together inside the cell. The heat does not help. It makes our sores itch and swell,” he said.

Another inmate, Joseph Carpio, said the long queue at the shower rooms has discouraged inmates from taking more baths as required to keep their body temperature low.

The Bulacan provincial jail can accommodate 500 to 700 inmates. But over the years, its inmate population has risen to thousands, Plamenco said.

He said the provincial government has proposed the construction of a new jail facility on a 7-hectare motor pool area owned by the provincial government. Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon