China: Imprisoned Pastor in Critical Condition is Refused Adequate Medical Attention
- Updated Mar 31, 2017
A Christian pastor in China who is being held in prison under inhumane conditions is reportedly suffering serious health issues.
Christian Today reports that Pastor Yang Hua of the Living Stone house church in Guiyang was arrested on December 9, 2015, tried later in the month, and then sentenced to two and a half years in Nanming District Detention Center prison.
Yang is suffering from severe inflammation affecting his legs. He is reportedly barely able to stand and has described the pain as “truly unbearable.”
“I haven't been able to walk or go to the toilet by myself during this period,” he added.
Although he has alerted prison guards to his condition, the medical help he has received has not matched the severity of his condition. He has been prescribed painkillers and penicillin, the later of which the detention center clinic does not even have.
Yang’s condition is so severe that his legs may have to be amputated due to the blood vessel inflammation.
China has been increasing its crackdown on churches and has jailed many pastors and church leaders, as well as human rights lawyers. Government officials have also shut down or even destroyed churches which are not government-sanctioned.
Yang’s lawyers say it is imperative that he receives medical attention immediately for his critical condition.
Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com
Publication date: March 31, 2017
