Unexpected twist
A government job in China has always been sought after and that was where Jiang Haitao was heading after he graduated from medical school and passed the civil service exams. But his career took an unexpected twist 12 years ago and he found himself walking through the heavy gates of the prison hospital.
He had no idea of what the new post would involve. "I thought it was just a hospital for prisoners and I presumed that it would be easier to treat prisoners than civilians because they were imprisoned and wouldn't complain. But I was wrong," Jiang said.
"People assume there are no disagreements between the doctors and the prisoners, but that's not correct. Today prisoners know their rights and are well-informed - even better-informed than ordinary people. We have to be accurate and record everything every time we make a diagnosis or prescribe medicines."
One prisoner who arrived at the hospital for treatment of an arm injury complained to the doctors there that he had been assaulted by warders and this had caused a serious problem with his eyesight.
When he had been admitted to prison earlier, he had not undergone the detailed medical examination on his eyesight and there was no easy way to check if he had a pre-existing condition but the doctors did not completely believe his story. One of the prison doctors then began checking hospitals throughout the city and eventually discovered that the man had had an eye condition from some time before. His story was a lie.
"After the 'hide-and-seek' incident in Yunnan Province in 2009 when a prisoner's death exposed the flaws in the surveillance and management, prison rules have further tightened. Now when they accuse us of something, we have to have concrete evidence to prove them wrong," Jiang said.
Zhu Rong has been working at the prison hospital since 1991 when she graduated from university. Work in the prison hospital was a far cry from nursing at an ordinary hospital where she carried out her internship. Here some of her patients are chained to their beds.
"When I was young and looking for a job I was excited by the prospect of wearing a police uniform. I had no idea of the risks involved in a prison hospital. The initial thrill at getting the job was soon overshadowed by the dangers I faced at work."
Nothing is more important than communication between doctors, nurses and patients. In a prison hospital, communication is much more difficult. Doctors and nurses have to talk with and examine the patients but they constantly are aware that they must keep their distance.
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