Better hands for our Juveniles?

Better hands for our Juveniles?

Health star plus, a Saddle river, New Jersey based company, which had the contract to take care of the medical needs of New York City's Department of Juvenile Justice for last three years has been unable to renew their contract this year, forcing the Juvenile Justice Department to look elsewhere.

The company which is being run by Dr Mark Wade, a physician, had been taking care of the sick youths of juvenile penal system in New York City with more or less non-existent scrutiny, resulting in claims by the parents that the operations are a gross violation of the state's various medical as well as business laws.

The D.J.J. has now asked New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation for help. Coming to its rescue the corporation has signed the contract for a period of 11 months which could end up costing up to $6 million to the department as compared to $3.5 million which it was paying to Health Star plus for a years services.

Now it's up to the corporation to bring some credibility to the health care system which has attracted ire of parents, Legal Aid lawyers and Family Court judges in the past on the accounts of the policies being a hindrance in proper and continual psychiatric and medical care of about 400 juveniles. The corporation is going to employ the staff from a couple of its city hospitals to work for three juvenile jails. The number of doctors employed will be same as earlier but more physician assistants and nurses will be employed.

The critics of the system are doubtful but keeping a positive outlook that the corporation would improve the care administered to the youths. But they are still skeptical since the standards and the policies for the medical care are set by the Juvenile Justice Department. One policy that has come under severe criticism is of not administering a medicine until a doctor from the jail has examined the juvenile, which often results in medicines not being provided on time. Lot of cases have been reported where children suffering from diseases like AIDS or bipolar disorder or behavioral problems have been denied medicines until the department could get one of its doctors to examine the children, which sometimes took as long as five days.

The corporation maintains that the policies are there for the benefit of children and they are dedicated to providing utmost care to adolescents under their supervision. How well New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation fare needs remains to be seen though.