1st PDL physiotherapy service facility opens in Zamboanga City Jail
By Chito Chavez

The opening of the first physical rehabilitation facility in the Zamboanga City Jail Male Dormitory on Monday, March 4, will now cater to the physiotherapy requirements of the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) under its care, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) said.
Zamboanga City Jail Male Dormitory Warden Jail Supt. Xavier Solda noted that the PDLs need not wait to be cleared by the court and line up in a government hospital for weeks to avail the physical therapy services.
He explained that the conduct of the physical rehabilitation process among the PDL patients including their qualified dependents can now be done inside the jail.
“Our unit is putting all efforts into providing the best kind of health services our PDL rightfully deserves”, Solda stressed.
“Humanizing jail conditions include a non-stop pursuit for health solutions not just addressing the jail congestion,” he added.
As of the moment, Solda said the facility has the basic medical equipment for physical rehabilitation such as parallel bars, transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation devices, resistive bands, dumbbells and cones with one licensed physical therapist and a nurse.
Likewise, the facility is one of the long-term solutions to the limited manpower complement of the unit which depletes once a PDL needs to be brought to the hospital for physical rehabilitation especially if the latter is classified as high-risk.
“It also helps to speed up the recovery of the PDL patient since they can avail of the needed therapy sessions on time, without worrying about the availability of court orders or a slot for physical therapy sessions in a government hospital,’’ the Zamboanga City Jail Male Dormitory stated.
Solda pointed out that the creation of physiotherapy services in the unit is inspired by the discussions during the recent International Corrections and Prisons Association Conference supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime wherein different creative solutions on various challenges in prisons and other places of detentions were discussed.
With the development, BJMP chief Jail Director Ruel Rivera commended the Zamboanga City Jail Male Dormitory's initiative to build the BJMP’s first physiotherapy services facility.
“Promoting good health among our PDL is indeed our priority to ensure their welfare and physical wellbeing while under our care”, Rivera said.
“We hope to create more health facilities through the support of our partners as we continue to improve our service delivery to our clientele”, he added.
At present, the Zamboanga City Jail Male Dormitory houses a total of 2,051 PDLs who are still awaiting trial.