Egypt

Medical report: ‘Inadequate’ detention halls in Old Cairo police station

Detention halls inside a police station in Old Cairo do not meet medical standards and are 'inadequate', a medical report handed to prosecutors on Tuesday said.        

The head of the Old Cairo prosecution, Tamer al-Araby decided to summon officials from the Cairo security directorate to discuss the content of the report with them. 

Hygiene is "virtually non-existent" and unpleasant odours emit from the halls, where insects are crawling, the report said.  

Araby ordered this report and a another one after two people detained in this police station died last month. 

The report concluded that there are are seven detention halls in the police station, in which all, except for one, air conditioners do not work. 

It added that ventilation inside the halls does not work and that all bathrooms inside had an area of less than a meter and no source of ventilation.

Additionally, oxygen levels are below standard medical levels and the rooms are overcrowded with prisoners, exceeding the capacity of the halls.  

The former report came out last month saying that 50 of the people detained there suffered from a range of illnesses, including diabetes, swelling in different parts of the body, viral infections and chest and skin diseases such as scabies.

Last month's report listed ventilation, overcrowding, and poor hygiene among the reasons behind the infection and spread of disease among some of the detainees.     

On April 8, Egypt's top prosecutor said the prosecution has conducted surprise visits to nine prisons and police stations in the governorates of Cairo and Giza, adding that prosecutors will continue to pay surprise, periodic visits.

This content is from :Aswat Masriya

 
 

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