(Letter from Cruz resident.) “I sat on the cement bench outside Medical, trying to position myself to get the maximum breeze from the portable cooler. I counted 13 women on chairs in front of Visitation, about 100 feet away. Then I started counting wheelchairs…..
I just got to 9 when I noticed a gal in one that was crying so hard she was almost screaming. Apparently, she had just got gallbladder surgery and they released her with NO pain meds. On top of that she was bleeding from the incision. Did anyone from Medical bother to come out and see what was wrong??? Noooooo! Only after another wheelchair-bound inmate kept pounding on the door did that get a reaction from inside. The male nurse said, ” She’ll have to wait like everybody else.”
Did I hear that right? So now there is a chorus of complaints from the rest of us, and threats to go to the Yard Office. Finally, they wheeled her inside. I went back to counting patients.
There was 15 more waiting near the cooler. There were close to 36 women waiting for Psych, Nurses Line, and Doctors Line (which is a misnomer because there’s no MD around for miles). Guess how many health providers???? THREE! One nurse, one psych, and one “doctor” (Nurse Practitioner).
About 10am the guard started handing out ID cards, which means there is no time left and reschedule your appointment. So I wiped the sweat from my brow and staggered back to my yard.”