Bars and tears: Unpublished drawings by children being held in immigration detention. Photo: Supplied
The federal government’s medical health provider will face the Australian Human Rights Commission inquiry into children in detention on Wednesday.
Human Rights Commission president Dr Gillian Triggs said the International Health and Medical Service (IHMS) had been widely criticised for its treatment of children living in detention centres across Australia and the offshore processing centres in Nauru and Papua New Guinea.
In one instance a girl was not provided glasses for 11 months, leaving her with a lazy eye and her eyesight in jeopardy, Dr Triggs said. Another child with a spinal deformity had not been given access to a specialist in six months.
Drawing by a child in an immigration detention. Photo: Supplied
”The mantra appears to be ‘take a Panadol and have a rest’,” Dr Triggs said. ”We are asking why is there such a disconnect between their contractual obligations and the services they actually deliver appear to be well below standard.