- 49 80.
As regards health-care staffing, the CPT’s delegation again noted the chronic lack of
qualified health-care staff.
At Alikarnassos Prison, there was one full time general practitioner and one nurse, assisted
by a prison officer, working in the establishment from 8h00 to 14h00 Mondays to Fridays. At
weekends, the nurse or assisting prison officer attended if required. In addition, a dentist visited the
establishment every Wednesday and a psychiatrist on Saturday mornings. It is positive that there is
a permanent doctor but, with an inmate population usually above 275, the number of nurses should
be increased to at least four. Moreover, there is a lack of consultation between the psychiatrist and
the general practitioner.
At Corinth Judicial Prison, a doctor visited the facility twice a week. However, there was no
nurse presence and health-care duties were undertaken by the prison administrator, which is not
appropriate.
At Diavata Judicial Prison, the health-care resources had not improved since 2013 and
remain totally inadequate for an establishment of some 600 inmates. Three general practitioners
each visited the prison one day a week for three and a half hours and a fourth doctor from the local
hospital attended the prison for five hours every Tuesday. In total, there was the equivalent of less
than a half-time doctor. Several dentists attend the prison on a rota basis once a week which results
in a lack of continuity of care. On the other hand, there is a full-time psychiatrist. There are only
three full-time nurses; in addition, two prisoners were acting as orderlies, dispensing medication
under the supervision of a nurse and having access to medical records.
The situation at Korydallos Men’s Prison remained dire, with little improvement since the
2013 visit.55 There was no full-time general practitioner; instead, three trainee doctors each attended
the prison five days a month from 15h00 to 23h00 and some 12 medical doctors of different
specialisations visited the prison twice a week. There were three full-time nurses and seven prison
officers assigned to the medical unit, only two of whom had basic health care qualifications. For an
establishment of 2,000 inmates this is totally insufficient. Dental (five hours a week) and psychiatric
consultations (equivalent to one day a week) also need to be increased significantly.
At Nafplio Prison, the health-care service consisted of one highly committed full-time nurse
who worked from 7h00 to 14h00 on weekdays. The Director of the Primary Care Services at the
local hospital attended on a voluntary basis a couple of hours twice a week. No visiting specialists
attended the prison. Clearly, for a prison of over 500 inmates such a situation is unacceptable and
the single nurse is being placed in an untenable position, professionally isolated and overwhelmed.
Ideally, there ought to be at least one full-time general practitioner and six nurses.
55
See CPT/Inf (2014) 46, paragraph 116.
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