- 21 c. access to a doctor 30. Paragraph 3 (g) of Police Circular 4803/22/44 refers to the protection of the detainee’s health as a basic duty of the police authorities. Presidential Decree 141/1991 which defines the responsibilities and actions of police officers, in its Article 60 paragraph 3 case 8, provides for medical care and the right to ask to be examined by a doctor of the detainee’s choice. Access to a doctor was apparently still not fully effective in practice. Nearly every person who alleged ill-treatment by the police stated that they had not been able to see a doctor as their request was refused or delayed. Even in cases when the injuries caused by the alleged ill-treatment were serious, access to a doctor might not be immediate. Moreover, the CPT’s delegation came across several persons in police detention who were not receiving the necessary medical treatment; in this connection, transfers to hospital could be hampered by difficulties in arranging transport. Further, if persons were sent to hospital for treatment, the medical documentation from the hospital was given to the accompanying police officer and not to the detained person or his lawyer. In the light of the 2013 findings, the CPT considers it necessary to reiterate that requests to see a doctor must be promptly met; law enforcement officials should not seek to filter such requests. It should also be recalled that all medical examinations of persons in police custody should be conducted out of the hearing and, unless the doctor concerned requests otherwise in a specific case, out of the sight of police officers, and that the results of every examination, as well as relevant statements by the detained person and the doctor's conclusions, should be formally recorded by the doctor and made available to the detainee and on request to his/her lawyer. Further, medication should be provided free of charge to detained persons who do not have the resources to pay for it themselves. The CPT calls upon the Greek authorities to ensure that the above-mentioned requirements as regards access to a doctor for persons held in police and border guard stations are met in practice. 31. In view of the practice of detaining persons for prolonged periods in police and border guard stations, the CPT has consistently advocated that the Greek authorities establish a system of regular visits by doctors to such facilities to screen new arrivals and enquire whether there are detainees with potential medical problems (including contagious diseases). The establishment of such a system will serve the interest of both individual and public health. In the current context in Greece, where establishments such as the Monasteriou Police Headquarters or the Metagogon (Transfer) Centre in Thessaloniki12 are accommodating 80 to 100 persons for several months or more in cramped, unhygienic conditions, there is a clear need to put in place such a system of regular visits by a doctor. For as long as the present situation persists, the CPT recommends that the provision of health-care in police and border guard stations be reviewed accordingly. 12 Other establishments include the police stations of Larissa, and of Kypseli and Omonia in Athens.