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A woman who died in prison Monday had been complaining of pain and discomfort for months before she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, her family says.
Fung Chu Sze, 58, originally from Hong Kong, had been housed at the Auckland Region Women’s Prison for the past six years after being convicted of importing drugs.
At around 4:30 a.m. on Monday, she was found unconscious in her cell during a wellness check and was pronounced dead after attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation were unsuccessful.
Supplied
Fung Chu Sze with his son Benji.
Corrections said the death was not being treated as suspicious at the time and was related to a “pre-existing medical condition,” but did not release further information.
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Since then, Things He has spoken with his son, as well as a former inmate and friend. They both said that Sze had been complaining of pain and discomfort for months before the doctors saw her.
When she was finally examined in late 2020, she was diagnosed with sarcoidosis for the first time, said her son, Benji Sze.
He complained that the medication prescribed for him was not effective and he was still in pain.
But it wasn’t until early February, when he had a more comprehensive health checkup, that he was found to have stage 4 lung cancer and was told he only had months to live.
Benji Sze said that the way the prison treated his mother was “inhumane”.
“If a person is uncomfortable, they should get them checked out right away, not just give them medicine,” he said.
“She did not improve with the medication.”
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Cici Cheng said it was difficult to receive medical treatment in prison.
Former inmate Cici Cheng spent five and a half years inside Wiri Prison with Sze, who said she had been complaining of pain for months.
His claims were not treated as seriously as they should have been, he said.
Medical treatment in prison was difficult to obtain, and Panadol was often used as a panacea, Cheng said.
“A lot of times we just put up with the pain to see how long we can deal with it,” he said.
“[Going through the process to get treatment] it is too great a nuisance. “
The story echoes that of Vicki Letele, a former inmate at the same facility, whose cancer was not diagnosed until it was discovered when it was too late to treat it. He died five months later.
In the wake of Letele’s death, the Deputy Commissioner for Health and Disability released a report saying that Corrections had failed to provide adequate care.
At the time, the National Commissioner of the Department of Corrections, Rachel Leota, agreed that the prison had not provided the adequate level of health services.
“We are committed to continually improving our healthcare services to prevent this from happening again and I am confident in the changes we have made,” he said.
Letele’s mother, Tui, said it was infuriating to see that the oversights that led to her daughter’s death had not been remedied in the four years since.
“They don’t care,” he said.
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Tui Letele says nothing seems to have changed at the prison since her daughter died four years ago.
“Doctors and nurses can write letters saying ‘I’m sorry’, but what good is that? Nothing has changed.”
He learned of the circumstances of Sze’s death from Cheng, who is staying in a group home run by Letele.
“It brought everything back to me, everything that had happened with Vicki, everything.”
Letele is currently in legal proceedings with Corrections for the treatment of her daughter.
Cheng said he was speaking because he wanted to make a change and make sure that what happened to Letele and Sze didn’t happen to anyone else.
A Corrections spokeswoman said Sze first reported the symptoms in September 2020, and several appointments were made “immediately” with a nurse, a physical therapist and a doctor.
Sze was referred for a specialized evaluation in January 2021 and was diagnosed in February, five months after she first reported symptoms.
“Palliative care planning was undertaken and a treatment plan was implemented according to the wishes of the woman.
“A review of files found that there was a good compromise between the woman and the health services, and comprehensive evaluations in relation to the reported symptoms.”
The spokeswoman said she cannot comment on any further investigations pending by the coroner and the independent corrections inspection.
All recommendations made by the Health and Disability Commissioner after Letele’s death had been completed, he said.
