By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) closely monitors the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) detained at the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) at Barangay Tabunan in Negros Occidental’s Bago City amid the warm conditions being experienced in the province.

Jail chief and warden, Inspector Alexander Sy, said the jail is not overcrowded as they are only holding close to 600 PDLs at the facility.

Sy said the NODJ has a capacity of 1,000 PDLs.

He said to prevent the PDLs from incurring heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, the inmates are allowed to go out of their cells during daytime.

Aside from heat stroke, Sy said among the illnesses that appear in the facility during warm conditions include water-borne diseases such as amoebiasis, and skin diseases such as boils and carbuncles.

However, Sy pointed out the spread of skin diseases inside the facility can be easily controlled as they have an abundant supply of water.

Sy said if there are any PDLs that fall sick, several nurses are available in the facility.

Most of the health-related cases being experienced by the PDLs can be easily treated.

Sy added that for other serious medical cases, they can transfer the sick PDLs to the nearest hospital for proper medical intervention.

Currently, Sy said there are no sick PDLs inside the facility.

“Round-the-clock man ang monitoring naton, mag-5:00 p.m., ginabalik na sila sa selda,” Sy added./DGB, WDJ