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In the centres visited, such screening on arrival was not systematically occurring. No
medical screening took place at Fylakio and Pyli Pre-removal Centres and it was limited to
questions about diseases at Moria Pre-removal Centre. While each person was, in principle, seen by
a nurse at Fylakio RIC, this assessment cannot be considered as effective medical screening. Not
surprisingly, the delegation’s medical doctor met a high number of persons in these centres who had
significant health problems ranging from diabetes to inguinal hernia requiring urgent surgical
intervention to acute psychotic disorder. The delegation also met several pregnant women in both
centres in Fylakio who needed to urgently consult a gynaecologist and several foreign nationals
with scabies. A high number of persons were traumatised, including children, and some had lost
their relatives and friends during the journey. Most had not been seen by a doctor or a nurse on
arrival and health problems were not adequately identified and treated. At Amygdaleza Pre-removal
Centre, only those who requested to be seen by a doctor were effectively screened.
The CPT calls upon the Greek authorities to ensure that all newly-arrived detainees
are properly interviewed and physically examined by a medical doctor or by a fully qualified
nurse reporting to a doctor, as soon as possible after their admission to a pre-removal centre
or a RIC. In particular, such screening should enable the identification of those with potential
or acute health problems (including mental health problems) and transmissible diseases. It
should also ensure a timely recording of injuries. Further, a vulnerability assessment should
be carried out on arrival.
116. For example, in the course of the visit, the delegation was informed of the death of a foreign
national on 7 April 2018 during his transfer from Amygdaleza Pre-removal Centre to a hospital,
after he had suddenly become unwell. He had not been seen by health-care staff upon his arrival at
the centre, some two weeks earlier. Prior to his detention at Amygdaleza, he had been held for
almost a month at Drapetsona Police Station. During this time, he had been transferred once to the
hospital. The medical reports from the hospital included blood results suggesting that he was
suffering from an infection. Unfortunately, his medical file had not been transferred to Amygdaleza
and, due to the lack of medical screening upon arrival, the doctor at the centre had not been aware
of a possible health problem.
The CPT recommends that the Greek authorities ensure that all medical
documentation accompanies detained persons when they are transferred to another
establishment.
Further, the Committee would like to be informed of the provision of health care
services to this detainee prior to his death and whether an official investigation into his death
has been carried out as well as the results of any such investigation.
117. As regards access to a doctor, the CPT’s delegation found that access is still not effective in
practice. In general, the system in police stations remains that for detained persons to see a doctor,
they must make a request to the police officers responsible for their custody who would then have
to organise a vehicle and staff to transport the person concerned to the nearest local health centre or
hospital. In Neo Cheimonio Police and Border Guard Station as well as in Drapetsona and Kolonos
Police Stations, a number of detained persons complained that staff filtered requests for a
consultation by an external doctor and that they had not been allowed to see one.
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