26 true throughout the duration of this report.49 healthcare, while some resulted in release as Many individuals were placed in detention discussed in Part C below. with pre-existing medical conditions, while With regards to access of healthcare, police others developed medical conditions during dismissiveness, long waiting times, and a lack their stay in the PRDC. In fact, every single of interpreters were reported as the other main participant reported some kind of medical barriers individuals in the PRDC faced during condition that needed treatment. this reporting period. Despite this demonstrated need, however, there was no permanent doctor working in the 1. Police Dismissiveness and Long Waiting Times facility and no psychologist at any time during While the second edition of this report the reporting period. Around mid to late 2023, highlighted police dismissiveness as the main Equal Rights was made aware of one nurse who deterrent to accessing healthcare,50 this year works in the CCAC who was making occasional only three participants reported that police visits to the Kos PRDC to cover some needs. dismissiveness deterred them from seeking Otherwise, the only opportunity detained healthcare. Haytham recalled his experience individuals had to see a medical professional asking the police for medical help and shared, was if they made a request to the police to be “[The police] say it’s pointless to see the doctor treated at the local hospital. When participants because ‘We don’t have a cure for what you have’ therefore mention requesting or being treated and that ‘You need to go to a private hospital. But by a doctor, they are referring to doctors in the even if you see the doctor he will give you the same local public hospital. medicine we are already giving you.’” As a result, However, individuals in detention often Haytham said that he had not yet seen a doctor reported police dismissing their requests for despite asking the police approximately four or medical intervention, resulting in the need for five times. Ali shared a similar experience, legal intervention. As such, at least seven of the explaining that when he went to the police, 13 participants interviewed had not yet seen a “They would say, ‘You just went to the doctor. Why medical professional by the time we had do you want to go again,’” while Idris interviewed them, despite reporting medical summarized his experience as, “’The police problems and placing requests to see a doctor. won’t take us to the hospital, even if we ask. I have In response to the lack of adequate healthcare, been asking to go to the hospital for a month and Equal Rights submitted 13 requests to the PRDC half.” police for individuals in detention to be treated Including Idris, four participants reported long and eight medical interventions submitted to waiting times deterring them from seeking the police directorate requesting the lift of the healthcare. In Ali’s case, the lack of permanent detention due to medical reasons. Of these, presence of a doctor in the Kos PRDC meant he seven were successful in ensuring the had to go to the police multiple times to place participants had access to some sort of requests for medical help, which resulted in 49 50 Detained and Forgotten, supra note 1, at 53-57; Still Detained and Forgotten, supra note 2, at 26-30. Still Detained and Forgotten, supra note 2, at 27. ‘Still detained and forgotten’ – Update on Detention Policies, Practices, and Conditions on Kos 2023/24