27 the PRDC since 01/01/2023. Detained persons treatment, further delaying detained persons’ in need of medical care must inform the police access to necessary healthcare. who then decide whether the person needs to be transferred to the hospital or not. Not only are police dismissive of detained persons’ requests for medical care, participants In line with participants observations in the also reported that healthcare professionals do November 2021 report,68 five participants also not take their requests for treatment seriously. reported that police continued to dismiss their Moreover, even if detained persons are able to requests for medical attention. Upon being secure an appointment with a public transferred, Farouq shared that he spent two healthcare professional, a lack of interpreters nights in a police station in very poor provides an often-insurmountable barrier to conditions, where he had to sleep on the treatment, and private healthcare remains ground and there was no door to the unaffordable to many – leaving detained bathroom. As a result of sleeping on the persons without access to any healthcare. ground, an insect bit him, resulting in his leg i. Deterrence and long waiting times swelling and an infection that oozed blood. Despite this, Farouq shared, As contrasted with the November 2021 report, participants in this year’s report focused more “The police refused a doctor’s appointment on police dismissiveness as the main deterrent [because] [i]n terms of accessing healthcare, it to accessing healthcare compared to long depends on the officer who is in charge.” waiting times. Among this year’s testimonies, Another participant shared that “When I asked only one participant commented on long for a doctor, police responded in [a] rude way. I waiting times while five participants shared had tooth pain, and the police were shouting about that the police dismissed their requests for why I came so late and said that I should come back medical help. a day later because ‘I could manage the pain.’” With regards to long waiting times, Naeem Marwan also was frustrated with the police for explained, “I have tried to see a doctor but saw for refusing his requests. He explained, other people that it was impossible.” Long waiting “When I say I need to see a doctor, they note my times and the inability to secure an number and ask me to wait, but nothing happens. I appointment with a healthcare professional asked again today and also for my medication, thus serve as a deterrent from pursuing which they were supposed to bring six days ago.” medical treatment in the first place. Lastly, Kenan shared, “I was pursuing police and However, the main deterrent participants UNHCR for help for two months...Every time I ask mentioned in seeing a doctor was that their the police for an appointment, they respond I have healthcare concerns were dismissed by the to wait for an appointment. I cannot communicate police. For example, Ameen and Haidar shared well with them,” while Ramy was only able to that it was very difficult for them to see a see a doctor after his two-day hunger strike. As doctor because when they asked the police for evidenced, police are not responsive to a doctor, detained persons requests for medical 68 Detained and Forgotten, supra note 3, at 54. ‘Still detained and forgotten’ – Update on Detention Policies, Practices, and Conditions on Kos 2022/23