THE REQUESTS FOR RELEASE OF THE HUNGER STRIKERS HAVE NOT BEEN ANSWERED.
Here follows a translation of the doctors' statement.

HOSPITAL OF KORYDALLOS PRISON, Athens, Thursday 20/11/2003

MEDICAL CERTIFICATION

The signing Doctors Mrs Olga Kosmopoyloy, member of the Central Board of the Union of Doctors of Hospitals of Athens – Piraeus (EINAP), and Mr Athanassios Karampelis, member of the Administration of Federation of Hospital Doctors of Greece (OENGE), General Practitioners, today, Thursday 20/11/2003 we examined in the Hospital of the Korydallos prison after a request of their advocates, the detained demonstrators strikers of hunger Mr Spiros Tsitsas, Mr Carlos Martin-Martinez, Mr Simon Chapman, and Mr Solaiman Dakdouk, and certify the following:
Comparatively with before one week, Thursday November 13, when we had examined them for the first time, today November 20 the situation of all has worsened. More specifically:

Mr Spiros Tsitsas has very low Arterial Pressure (AP) when laying down, 75/50 of mm Hg, that falls much lower, 60/40, when he stands, so that it is almost not possible to measure, so that he cannot stand upright, cannot even keep his head up to look at us because he gets dizzy. We escorted him to his cell, despite the protests of the guards, supporting him for the fear of a fall. He continuously has drowsiness and intense dizziness. He has not defecated for at least one month. He urinates only 1 (occasionally 2) times a day, and has oliguria, which implies likely damage of kidneys, if he has not already suffered damage of kidney operation. He reports that he cannot drink liquids, they disgust him and he avoids them, asking to be transported again to an organised hospital. He has weakened so much that he reminds photographs of detainees in nazi concentration camps of World War II. His general situation is considered particularly critical, he is in the worst situation from all the strikers of hunger, and has need of direct hospitalisation in an organised Public Hospital.

Mr Carlos Martin-Martinez has very low Arterial Pressure (AP) when laying down, 75/40 of mm Hg (with 60 pulses (?)), that falls much lower, 65/30 with tachycardia (with 100 pulses(?), because of intense orthostatic hypotension) when he stands, so that it is almost not possible to measure, so that he cannot to stand upright for more than a few minutes with dizziness and intense tendency to faint. So much has he weakened that it is characteristic that the manometer did not fit his arm (he needed a children's manometer!, and we know that in such cases the real pressure can be even lower!). He has not defecated for at least one month. He has severe gingivitis that needs treatment. He presents shivers and numbness in the hands and legs and intense pains in all the body and in the muscles so that he cannot sleep at night. He presents frequent symptoms of hypoglycemia, and then he cannot see well and he cannot read. Not only does he deny food but he cannot even drink enough liquids, he drinks only 1 glass water the last days (except for yesterday that he took 3 or 4 glasses water), and he asks to be transported again to an organised Public Hospital.
His general situation is considered particularly critical, and with Spyros Tsitsas they are the two more aggravated from all the strikers of hunger, and he has need of direct hospitalisation in an organised Public Hospital.

Mr Simon Chapman has very low AP when laying down, 75/50 of mm Hg, that falls still lower 70/50 when he stands up, so that he can remain upright only for a little, because he faints. Particularly the last 15 days he has dizziness when he stands, also intense tendency for fainting. He has lost over 20 kilos and has not defecated at least for 3 weeks. He presents friction in the pneumonic base and evident pliktrodaktylia that implies likely serious lung disease in development. His general situation is considered very serious and overloaded, and he has need of direct hospitalisation in an organised Public Hospital.

Mr Solaiman Dakdouk has low AP when laying down, 85/55 of mm Hg, that falls still lower 75/50 when he stands up, so that he can remain upright only for little, because he faints. He has lost over 20 kilos and has not defecated at least for 25 days. He has weakened severely and has evident atrophy and loss of muscular masses with intense muscular weakness, reduction until disappearance of tendon reflexives, and generalised hair loss. He has severe gingivitis that needs treatment. His sight has been considerably worsened since the previous examination before one week, and now he asks from his comrades to read to him, because now after a few seconds he cannot read anymore. His general situation is considered very serious and critical, and has need of direct hospitalisation in an organised Public Hospital.

All fourstrikers of hunger are unstable haemodynamically with direct danger to suffer shock, serious infections and irreparable damage of vital organs, such as kidneys, liver, central nervous system etc. Their development is unpredictable and it can at any moment worsen itself rapidly with serious danger of irreparable damage of their health. There exists direct danger even for their life.

The signers, we certify responsibly that their immediate release and their immediate hospitalisation in a Public Hospital are absolutely necessary and urgent for the salvation of their health and their life.

THE DOCTORS

OLGA KOSMOPOYLOY ATHANASIOS KARAMPELIS



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