Chapter 1 – Report of the Policy, Law and Complaints Group At the time of the study, the health system in prisons was managed by the Home Ministry, which depended largely on private companies to provide resources, including medical staff. Allocations for healthcare services remain limited and privately hired healthcare workers might not be properly equipped to manage medical and ethical issues raised in such facilities. 2. DEATHS IN POLICE CUSTODY - A STUDY In 2014, the Commission embarked on a study on deaths in police custody. The initiative was taken due to the high number of deaths in police custody, which led to a public outcry and complaints lodged with the Commission. Furthermore, the right to life is a fundamental human right as enshrined in both the Federal Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). According to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the number of deaths in police custody in 2014 is 17 and the total number of such deaths from 2000 to 2014 is 255. In 2015, the Commission worked on analysing the data collected. Some of the core findings of the study are summarised below. (a) Factors Contributing to Deaths in Custody (i) Healthcare PDRM statistics show that 85 per cent of the deaths were caused by health reasons. Table 1: Causes of Death in Police Lock-Ups (2000 – Feb 2014) CAUSES TOTAL NUMBER PERCENTAGE Illness 206 85 Suicide 30 12 Accident (caused by a fall) 2 1 Fight between detainees 2 1 Foul play by police 2 1 242 100 Total Source: PDRM 73 BOOK-ANR2016-01-latest.indb 73 08/04/2016 3:32 PM