Mumia Abu-Jamal Losing His Sight

Photo courtesy of Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio.

The following report was provided by The Action Network. 

Mumia’s vision has rapidly deteriorated. It has been confirmed that Mumia currently suffers conditions that seriously threaten his eyesight. These include glaucoma, a vitreous detachment and cataracts in both eyes. This threat seriously jeopardizes his life and well-being, as well as his journalistic profession.

An outside eye doctor is recommending surgical procedures to remove the cataracts on both eyes, but SCI-Mahanoy Doctor Courtney Rodgers is delaying scheduling the needed examinations and surgeries with Mumia's outside ophthalmologist. Rodgers works for Correct Care Solutions, a notorious for-profit prison and immigration detention medical company that, according to the Project on Government Oversight, has been sued at least 1,395 times with complaints alleging a range of charges, including wrongful death, malpractice and inadequate healthcare.

Meanwhile Mumia faces increasing nerve damage to his eyes. He is unable to read or do other things requiring normal vision. This delay echoes the years of delays Mumia experienced getting treatment for hepatitis C. By the time the DOC was finally forced by Federal Court to treat Mumia with the Hep C cure, it was too late to prevent cirrhosis of the liver.

Click here for the full report. 

Bonus Report: Listen to Mumia Abu-Jamal's commentary Passing of a Healer on the death in early June of  Dr. Patricia Bath. Bath was  a world-renowned ophthalmologist who patented the technique for laser surgery for cataracts. Her motivation was to prevent blindness in the African American community.  She was the first African American woman to get a medical patent.