By Merilyn Diau-Katam – EM TV News, Port Moresby
The unhealthy state of the Boroko Police Station call blocks was inspected by the NCD Health Inspectors today.
The cell will be condemned upon the NCD Health Inspectors final report.
NCD Metropolitan Superintendent, Benjamin Turi, said the cells have been around for more than forty years, with no proper ventilation and sewerage system in place, and now, facing overcrowding of detainees.
From today’s inspection, it was revealed that detainees have been living in unhygienic conditions and few others have contracted skin diseases.
The cell stations have poor water sanitation and even foul smell in the surrounding area.
NCD Metropolitan Superintendent, Benjamin Turi, said the cells are unfit to house detainees, even police officers fall sick from the unhygienic conditions.
Med. Supt. Turi said, “Our cell is not of the standard of human beings according to the international standard, we have breached a lot.
Politicians, leaders, our four MP’s of NCD, what we have here is unfit for humans to live.
The moment you walk into the cell, you can feel the hot air, there is no ventilation in the cell, and water is leaking under the cell.
This cell needs to be condemned and a new one should be built.”
Med. Supt. Turi said every night, prisoners themselves have to stand up and volunteer to clean the cells every night due to the water leakage. There is constantly a blockage in the cells.
Overcrowding is another issue just like any other lock up around the country that has become too common.
The Boroko Police Station cell blocks are meant to hold 6 to 7 detainees at a time, but are currently holding more than ten.
Med. Supt. Turi said as of last night, the cell prison has reached more than 140 detainees, on weekends the number goes up to 200.
“Once these cells have been condemned by the NCDC Health Inspectors, it will be in line with our Commissioner’s intend to have three district cells from Port Moresby North West, North East and the South.” said the Med. Sup.
The detainees will separate in these prisons.
A final report will be released in the coming week by the NCDC Health Inspectors that will recommend for changes.
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