The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE US State Department’s 2015 Human Rights Report on The Bahamas contains allegations that the All Saints Camp had extremely neglected HIV-infected persons in their care.

When contacted yesterday about the report, which was released on Wednesday, the facility’s administrator Diana Ingraham told The Tribune she was angered by the findings, which she called hurtful lies.

The report stated that “those in contact with the camp alleged extreme neglect of the HIV-infected individuals living at the camp, including non-nutritious and irregular meals and improper or inadequate basic medical care”.

Ms Ingraham said the claims were also vexing to residents, some of whom have been abandoned and left in her care.

“I have a lot of residents with family that just drop them off, don’t check for them, don’t send a stipend for them,” she said. “I take care of them. It has me very angry.”

She added: “I deny everything they say. They never spoke to us.”

The US report stated that the camp did not employ nurses or medical staff and that sick individuals living there cared for themselves. It attributed the information to the camp’s administrator.

The report went on to state that in 2015, living conditions remained “generally unsanitary” despite assistance by several religious organisations to bring physical improvements to the facility.

Charmaine Rolle-Bachan, who supervises the camp’s medication compliance, confirmed that a doctor from the Princess Margaret Hospital’s HIV Clinic visits the camp twice a month. She maintained that there is also a clinic held on the last Tuesday of every month.

Mrs Rolle-Bachan said: “A doctor comes twice out of the month, Dr Norad Morgan. Every week one of our residents goes and picks up medication, and I personally distribute the medication. Those who cannot take medication on their own, someone is assigned to them. I work alongside Marva Jervis at the HIV centre on medication compliance.

“All patients in the camp that are ill, on medication, get refills every month. Those who can walk go to (a) general clinic on Wednesdays, but because we had a problem with transportation the doctor comes here with his nurses and holds the clinic.”

Yesterday, Ms Ingraham said she never provided information for the report or spoke to a US representative. She suspected that the information came from American missionaries - Next Step - that visit the camp each summer to complete housing construction projects with funds raised from donations gathered in the US.

Speaking to the claim that meals were non-nutritious, Ms Ingraham explained that residents were very picky and meals were catered to their tastes.

“With the food and the nutrition you have to give the residents what they like,” she said. “We do give nutrition in our meals but if you give them something they don’t like it’s a waste because they won’t eat it. We have a lot of people who contribute with food, come here with meals, and we have outspoken patients who won’t eat and requests that the cook makes their meals.”

She added: “We’re a nonprofit, we need donations. These allegations are just lies.”

e are 50 residents at the camp; however, not all patients are HIV-infected.