Page 22 - WHACK35
P. 22

-CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21
            had not seen anyone from            throughout the previous day.       and informed her of the situation,
            medical, despite being arrested     The following day I was transported   which by now was that I hadn’t
            over 12-hours earlier and raising   to the Custody Centre for my       collected my methadone for four
            the issue constantly throughout the   court appearance in the Melbourne   days. Without listening to my
            day. The response I received was    Magistrates’ Court. Upon arrival I   reasons or making any enquiries,
            that I would not be seeing the nurse   immediately raised the issue of my   she simply stated that it was now
            or doctor that night as I was just   methadone, only to be told that I   too late, as it was over three days,
            there overnight due to a shortage   would not be seeing medical staff   and that I should be aware of that
            of beds in the city and I would see   until after I had appeared in court   having been on the program for a
            the relevant staff for these services   and it was not known at that stage   few years. I stated that I understood
            the following morning when I was    if I was would remain in custody   the policy of the three-day period
            transported to the Custody Centre   or be released. My response was    perfectly well, but that I had great
            below Melbourne Magistrates’        that it was now the fourth day and   trouble comprehending her
            Court. I protested, as it was my    I needed someone to address my     attitude when the only reason I
            third day without methadone and     methadone situation immediately,   did not pick up my dose on two of
            requested that my comments and      as I feared I had reached the point   those days (the third and fourth)
            requests be noted, in the hope that   of no return.                    was that I was in custody and
            if I did see medical staff the next                                    physically restrained and that those
            day there would be some             I was not released after court but   in charge had failed to discharge
                                                remanded into custody, which
            documentation that I had repeatedly   occurred well after lunch. It was   their duty of care to ensure I
            raised the issue of my methadone    only then that I finally saw a nurse   received my dose.
                                                                                   T H E EN D R E S U LT – N OT H I N G !



          2 2  W H A C K P. I E D I T I O N : S P R I N G  2 0 16




     WHACK35_LYOT.indd   22                                                                                  11-Oct-16   4:25:20 PM
   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27