THE RIGHT TO HEALTH IN PRISON: RESULTS OF A NATIONWIDE SURVEY AND REPORT 4.23 A prison should have equipment necessary for routine health care and emergencies, in addition to an adequately supplied pharmacy.118 Specialized equipment may be necessary in larger prisons and those serving prisoners with special medical needs.119 However, the Commission observed that the clinic facilities in almost all prisons visited were lacking in resources and were medically ill-equipped. The Commission also noticed a shortage of equipment and the malfunctioning of some. 4.24 Although the Commission appreciates that prisons are not meant to be hospitals for complex medical or mental health problems, prisoners are generally exposed to a higher rate of infectious and chronic conditions during their imprisonment, and if untreated, may pose a significant health risk to others. 4.25 With regard to the supply of medication to prisons, the Commission observed that in addition to the insufficient amount of medication in every prison visited, medication is not supplied by the Ministry of Health; but instead purchased by the Prisons Department themselves. Very often, prison administrations have to prioritize or utilise their budget for equally pressing matters. 4.26 With regard to female prisoners, the Commission was informed that they were rarely supplied with painkillers for menstrual cramps even upon request to the prison doctor. 4.27 The Commission reiterates that the State (Government) is responsible for every aspect of healthcare in prison, including the supply of medication and healthcare service in prisons must mirror the public healthcare service. The Commission repeats that if prisoners are left untreated due to the lack of available medication, they could pose a public health risk to the community after their release. This in turn will cause a serious drain on the limited health care funds available to communities. Standard 23-6.6 of the ABA CRIMINAL JUSTICE STANDARDS ON THE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS 2010 accessed via http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publishing/criminal_justice_section_newsletter/treatment_of_prisoners_ commentary_website.authcheckdam.pdf on 1/3/16 119 Ibid 118 68