A 22 year old diabetic died this weekend at the Hattieville Prison from complications due to his illness. He had been remanded only two days earlier on a petty drug possession charge. While prison authorities say it's not their fault, whose fault is it when someone with a pre-existing medical condition dies at Hattieville? - that's what Alfonso Noble has been trying to find out:
Alfonso Noble reporting,
Gian Godoy was picked up by police on Wednesday of last week and appeared before the magistrate's court on Thursday to answer to charges of possessing 14.9 grammes of Cannabis. He was offered, but was unable to meet bail and was remanded to the Hattieville Prison. Once there, Errol Gentle, Superintendent of Prisons says Godoy told him about his condition.
Errol Gentle, Superintendent of Prisons
"On his reception, he informed our medical persons that he was diabetic and was taking insulin. So on Friday he received the first shot and he was supposed to get it again on Saturday. One of the medical orderly came in on Saturday to do just that and at the time he couldn't give it to the young man, because he was weak; he wasn't eating. Although food was being prepared for him or being provided for him, it seems like he was putting the food under his bed. He wasn't taking anything and when they realized he wasn't eating they told him, "we cannot give you the shot", and they gave him some more food and they told him they would be back by midday and would give him some more time to eat. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his illness some time after, about eleven, eleven thirty.
For Marie Flowers, Godoy's tenant, who was well acquainted with his illness, there was some likelihood that this could happen because she knew the probable side-effects if he did not take insulin:
If he was taken to jail and didn't get his medication, I think that would be the cause of it, right, because somebody who has diabetes, diabetes is a serious thing, you know, a very, very serious thing, because it could throw you into coma, blind you, and things like that. I used to put up his insulin in my refridge in the morning and evening time and he always used to come and get it and take it. Every morning and evening he had to take it, sometimes when he did'nt take it early, he used to tell me that he feels bad.
On saturday it was more than just feeling bad for Godoy as he died in the Hattieville Prison. Today, those who knew him best wonder if he got his medication while on remand.
If you need your medication, no kay weh kind of person you are, I think the law or whosoever suppose to allow that person to get his medication.
Gentle says there is no need for concern, there was absolutely no neglect on their part. He says a medical orderly was asked to come in on Saturday, not a regular working day, specifically to handle Godoy's condition.
So, I know it couldn't be any negligence on our part because we provided him with the food and we provided him with the first amount of insulin Friday morning. It is just that on Saturday we could'nt give it to him and the medical orderly mentioned to him that by midday he would be back, so that he should eat the food, we gave him some noodles, they gave him some bun and some Ovaltine but the young man did'nt eat it and in fact just about ten thirty, the officer who is in charge of the remand section did a walk on the flight and checked on him and he was okay.
And while prison administrators maintain that they upheld their responsibility, there's still a man who died in their care, and the central question of who's responsible is left to be answered.
While he was remanded on a small possession charge - 22 year old Gian Godoy has quite a lengthy rap sheet including 8 previous charges. He had been convicted of possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition, drug trafficking and a pair of drug possession charges.