Prevailing Health Issues of Inmates at Northern Samar Provincial Jail

This study explored the lived experiences of inmates regarding health problems, access to health care services, coping mechanisms, and support systems during incarceration. Specifically, it examined the nature and progression of inmates’ health conditions, the barriers encountered in seeking medical attention, the experiences and interpretations of health care challenges inside jail, and the coping strategies utilized by inmates to manage their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. The study also served as the basis for the development of the proposed “Kalusugan Sa Loob” Program aimed at improving correctional health care services. The study utilized a descriptive phenomenological research design under a qualitative research approach. Purposive sampling was employed in selecting inmates detained at the Provincial Jail in Northern Samar who met the inclusion criteria. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Paul Colaizzi’s phenomenological method. The findings revealed that inmates commonly experienced recurring illnesses such as stomachache, skin diseases, and flu-like symptoms associated with environmental conditions, overcrowding, and confinement-related stress. Inmates also encountered institutional, procedural, legal, communicative, and psychological barriers in accessing health care services, including bureaucratic delays, hierarchical reporting systems, and hesitation in communicating illness. Despite these challenges, inmates demonstrated resilience through self-care practices, exercise, emotional diversion, spirituality, and reliance on support systems from jail personnel, fellow inmates, and family members. Based on the findings, the study proposed the “Kalusugan Sa Loob” Program, which emphasized a holistic, preventive, responsive, and humane approach to improving inmates’ access to and quality of health care services during incarceration.