This is the story of one of the prisoners Siam-Care visits every two weeks.
“My name is Joseph and I’m from Liberia. The last 6 months have been the most terrifying months in my live. I’ve been so stupid to smuggle drugs to Thailand. I was desperate for money and then you do unwise things sometimes. I got caught by the police and ended up in one of the most notorious prisons worldwide: The Klongprem Prison in Bangkok.”
“In the Bangkok Hilton – a nickname for the Klongprem Prison – you have very little space for yourself. I share my room with about 30 other prisoners. We even take turns sleeping for there is not enough room to sleep at the same time. Did I tell you already we don’t have a toilet in our cell? You won’t be surprised that after a couple of weeks I started to feel weaker. After visiting the prison doctor and waiting for the results, I discovered something awful: I was Hiv-positive.”
Someone speaks English
“Of course I was shocked by the news. They immediately transported me to the prison hospital where I at least had my own bed. But all the other inmates were Thai en no one could tell me what I should do. The nurse gave me some basic information about my medication but I didn’t quite understand what she was telling me. Thankfully the nurse told me about Siam-Care. This NGO visits the prison hospital twice a month. I was very happy to see them for the first time; finally someone who spoke English and could tell me more about my infection.”
More knowledge about Hiv
“I spoke with one of the staff members of Siam-Care for quite a long time. He gave me more information about Hiv and about how and when I should take my medication. He also explained why it is so important for me to take my medication. I know a lot more about Hiv and that gives me more peace. Of course my situation is still very bad and I’m not even sure how much longer I need to stay in prison. It might be 20 more years. But at least I know there is someone I can talk to about my situation, someone who’s really listening. Siam-Care has been a great help for me in prison and I’m definitely more relax now.”
Joseph is a real person, this is his real story. And it is a story with a sad end. After talking to him and writing this story, we visited the hospital prison again. We couldn't find Joseph and after asking the prison staff where he was, we were quiet. 3 days after visiting Joseph, he suddenly died because of his HIV-infection, in combination with another infection.
