Lourdes Mary denied her insulin while in police custody? Investigate this...

I wonder what is being done about the case of Lourdes Mary, reported to be a diabetic who allegedly was not provided her insulin while under police detention...

Why are the Human Rights group not making this an issue of importance?

Why is SUHAKAM not saying or doing anything about this matter?

Why is the Malaysian Bar silent on the matter?

She was arrested by the police and kept in a police lock-up ...her legs allegedly had swollen because she did not get her insulin. While in court she fainted and had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance...I believe, that this is a very serious matter,...and she could even have died... and become just another statitic of persons who died in police custody.

The matter seem to have disappeared... Is this yet another matter that will be swept under the carpet - and hopefully forgotten..

It may not be Anwar Ibrahim or some other 'famous' personality - but Lourdes Mary is a human being - and all concerned persons must demand an explanation from the police ...from the Home Minister...the Prime Minister...the Government...

We do not want a repeat of this in modern Malaysia.

During the remand hearing, one of the female detainee, Lourdes Mary, fainted in court while explaining the lock-up condition to the magistrate.

According to Surendran, the detainee is a diabetic and her legs have swollen twice the size as she was unable to obtain insulin since her detention yesterday.

“I have never seen this kind of neglect in court before,” lamented the lawyer.

Meanwhile, another legal team member M Manogaran criticised the police for demanding lawyers to register themselves before entering the court building and for barring journalists from entering the complex. - Malaysiakini, 24/10/2008 Child, mother freed, 10 remanded

That incident was also reported in the Star,

At around noon, there was a minor commotion when Lourdes Mary, who is believed to be suffering from diabetes, fainted in the midst of remand proceedings and had to be carried out of the courtroom into a nearby car to be taken to the Putrajaya Hospital. - Star, 24/10/2008 -Ten Hindraf supporters remanded for three days (updated)

Proper health care must be accorded to all detainees and persons under police custody...

I return today from yet another death in police custody case - where here a man who suffered head trauma (a blow/s to the head) was sent back to the police lock-up after being examined by the doctor. Why?

Normally, when one suffers a head trauma (or a blow to the head) - hospitals will normally keep the patient overnight (or 24 hours) for observation to ensure that there is no other serious complication...

The doctor told the inquest that she told the police to closely monitor the detainees condition and also gave them some document with instructions (But alas, the police in charge of the lock-up later testified that they never received any such instructions(or documents) from the policemen who brought the detainee back to the lock-up from the hospital...). So, even if complications and symptoms arose, I wonder whether the police man looking after the lock-up would have noticed it.

Hence, there is a need to look again at the conditions of lock-ups and detention places again...to ensure that all detainees are provided with total health-care while they are in police custody. Should every police station have a doctor?

If their legs are swelling - sent them to the hospital.

If they need medication - get it for them immediately...

If they suffered head trauma - then keep them in the hospital for observation as would reasonably be done for any other person...You could hand-cuff them to the bed, could you not?

We must do something about this matter