Hunger Strike ended by all 4 East Tyrone men - post hunger strike medical care is a priority

The hunger strike by Tommy and Dessie Hamill, Austin Creggan and Mark McGilloway has ended after 40days on hunger strike.
Their medical care needs urgent and appropriate attention and the civil and human rights network (see below) are conveying that message to Stormont Minister for Justice David Ford :

Fionnbarra Ó Dochartaigh

o HUNGER-STRIKE ENDED – AM SUN. 23/9/2012 -

Letter conveyed to Stormont re :medical care.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN o o 4 MEN ARE NOT YET OUT OF DANGER-THEY REQUIRE IMMEDIATE AND CONSTANT EXPERT MEDICAL CARE AFTER 40 DAYS OF HUNGER-STRIKING. THIS MAY REQUIRE ‘OUTSIDE’ HOSPITALIZATION, SO AS TO ENSURE A SPEEDY RETURN TO STABILIZATION. o o Therefore a 2nd communication to the Stormont Minister of Justice, Mr. David Ford MLA is being drafted as a matter of urgency. So as to be on the Minister’s desk to-morrow morning it will be e-mailed in the next few hours. It will place emphasis on the relevant pointers of the “Report from Medical Contacts”, below.. o o REPORT FROM MEDICAL CONTACTS: o • Hunger Strikes...Firstly: How long one can last on HS depends on the starting body weight and general health of the participant...without food and with an intake of ''only'' water the 'average' person will start to deteriorate rapidly from 4-5 weeks...water should be at room temperature not cooled (to maintain core body temperature)..Salt should be circa 1 teaspoon per 4 pints...water intake should start small and work towards 6-8pints per day. Starting with 2fluid oz every half hour...

* Adverse effects on the body...4 weeks Damage to muscle * From 4 weeks on. Weakening of bone structure, hallucinations, dementia, * 5 weeks. Potential damage to internal organs, * From 5 weeks on. Potential organ failure. * Death. Can happen at any time during the HS... * Circa 45-50 days. Motion sickness & vomiting * Circa 55 days. Convulsions and fitting.

* The coming off HS can be just as dangerous...nutrients must be commenced again slowly. Many people have died after coming off due to increasing nutrition too quickly resulting in poisoning...another factor is the potential for ''food tampering'', wittingly or unwittingly by staff or other inmates , after a HS...Very dangerous...

Aftercare is vital and in the case of protracted HS. Intensive Therapy would be required in an outside facility to deal with health conditions ''acquired'' as a result of HS. Such as. Neurological conditions, Kidney conditions, infections, immune system problems...

The last person to come off a HS in a British Prison was transferred to an ICU and spent 10 days there before stabilising..