Johannesburg - The right to health care of detainees at the Lindela Repatriation Centre are being violated, according to a report released by the SA Human Rights Commission on Thursday.
An investigation revealed a lack of provision for tuberculosis testing and isolation of infected persons, lack of psychological care, unavailability of condoms, and an absence of voluntary counselling and testing. There was also unavailability of tetanus vaccines, and overcrowding of rooms.
The probe into the detainees' living conditions was undertaken following complaints to the commission by Doctors Without Borders, Section27, Lawyers for Human Rights, and People Against Suffering, Oppression and Poverty (Passop) in 2012.
“Time intervals between the serving of the evening meal and breakfast were not complying with the time periods prescribed in the Regulations to the Immigration Act at Lindela,” the report said.
Lindela, on the West Rand, is a temporary holding facility for illegal immigrants pending deportation. The facility falls under the home affairs department.
The commission recommended the department undertake a full independent audit of the existing conditions at Lindela and the impact on detainees' access to health care.
The department was instructed to provide the commission with a report within three months on problems it had identified, steps to remedy the situation, and the timelines within which it would do so.
The commission's spokesman Isaac Mangena said the departments of health and home affairs had been sent the recommendations.
Sapa