Utah Governor, Advocates Seek Answers in Prison Inmate Death
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – APRIL 9 (UPI) — Utah’s governor and human rights advocates are calling for an investigation after a 62-year-old prison inmate died after not receiving scheduled dialysis.
Ramon Estrada died of an apparent cardiac arrest due to kidney failure after aUniversity of Utah South Valley Dialysis Center contractordidn’t show up to the Utah State Prison to provide treatment for two days. Six other men who were supposed to receive treatment were hospitalized.
“This is egregious, to the extent that it was completely avoidable,” said Aaron Kinikini, legal director of the Utah Disability Law Center.
“These are presumably inmates who are on a regular list of patients receiving dialysis, and if the dialysis contractor doesn’t come in on a Friday, it seems alarm bells should have been going off somewhere. If he doesn’t come in on a Saturday, louder alarm bells. To wait until Sunday night to transport (Estrada) to a hospital seems inexcusable.”
The Utah Department of Correction’s Law Enforcement Bureau is already investigating the death.
The prison’s medical director, Richard Garden, has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation.
Gov. Gary Herbert called the death “a tragedy,” and said an investigation must be conducted to prevent future problems.
“It’s hard to comprehend,” Herbert said. “I would expect even the inmates themselves would say, ‘I’m supposed to have a treatment. Where’s the guy? Why is he not here?’ We’ll do a complete investigation to find out what’s happened and who’s responsible.”
Estrada was convicted of a rape charge in August 2005 and was scheduled to be paroled in late April.
