- 31 6. Health care a. introduction 68. The findings of the CPT’s delegation during the 2011 visit illustrate that health care services in many of the prisons visited are still unable to meet the basic health care needs of prisoners. It would appear that previous recommendations by the CPT on issues such as staffing, access to health care, medical screening upon admission, medical confidentiality and health-care policy concerning drug abuse have not been implemented by the Greek authorities. A review of the provision of health care services in prisons should be carried out immediately and a more rigorous inspection of the manner in which health care is provided to prisoners instituted. The CPT reiterates its recommendation that the Greek authorities urgently re-examine the general state of health care services in prison establishments. b. health care in general 69. The number of health care staff in Korydallos Men’s Prison has increased since the visit in 2009. There is now the equivalent of three full-time general practitioners and a duty doctor of any one of a number of specialities present seven days a week between 15h00 and 23h00. There are also a number of visiting specialists who visit between two and four times per week for a couple of hours at a time. The health care centre has three fully qualified nurses, an assistant nurse as well as six prison officers working as medical orderlies, one of whom is always on duty. A number of inmates also worked in the health care centre performing a variety of duties including the triage of prisoners and the distribution of medication. The number of nursing staff remains inadequate for a remand prison of such a size. 70. At Amfissa Prison, a rural doctor39 attended the prison three days a week from 08h00 to 14h00. He is supported by one fully qualified nurse and three assistant nurses, two of whom are prison officers with two years of training at nursing school; at least one nurse is present between 07h00 and 21h00, and at night one of them is on call. Three inmates assist the nurses in recording the medication in the register and with its distribution, as well as with cleaning duties. Efforts to overcome the problems previously identified by the CPT were visible, with prisoners being seen either by the doctor or by being transferred to hospital for a consultation. At Domokos Prison, there was no full-time doctor for a prison population of more than 600; instead, the prison doctor from Larissa Prison (800 inmates) visited the prison for two hours every week. Such an arrangement is totally inadequate. The nursing staff consisted of two fully qualified nurses and two assistant nurses who were prison officers. Two dentists, one of whom was retired, were present five days a week. 39 That is, a recently qualified doctor undertaking a one year residency outside of a major urban area.

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