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To this end, the relevant legislative amendment has already been passed and the publication in the
Government Gazette is pending to proceed to the necessary actions for the implementation of the
actions.
Paragraph 71: Recommendation to the Greek authorities to ensure that the police officers of the
Directorate of Foreign Nationals of Thessaloniki be trained in first aid and in particular
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
As regards police officers' lack of training in first aid and in particular cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) observed by the Committee on the occasion of suicide committed by a detainee
at the Directorate of Foreign Nationals of Thessaloniki, the Directorate of Security of Thessaloniki,
in association with the General Police Directorate of Thessaloniki/Training Department and with
the approval of the Directorate of Human Resources Training and Development/Department of
Further Training and International Education of the Hellenic Police Headquarters, carried out a
training programme in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation for its staff that serves at
detention facilities. The programme was attended by a total of sixty (60) officers in three (3)
training sets (24.11.2016, 25.11.2016 and 28.11.2016). The training was carried out at the
amphitheatre of the Police Building of Thessaloniki and the trainers were one general physician and
one cardiologist from the Central Medical Office of Thessaloniki, as well as one Red Cross rescuer.
Paragraph 72: Recommendation to the Greek authorities to ensure that the principle of medical
confidentiality is strictly respected
The presence of police officers during medical tests is allowed only when there is even the slightest
risk that the detainee will escape, which is assessed objectively by the escorting police officers, who
are also bound by their duty to respect medical confidentiality of the detainee patient. Moreover,
prescriptions for psychiatric medications or substitutes given to drug addicts are kept at the
detention facilities guard (office of the Officer on Duty) and these medications are administered in
the presence of police officers in order to prevent abuse and their use by other drug-addict
detainees.
Paragraph 73: Recommendation to the Greek authorities to review the provision of health care in
police stations and consider establishing a system of regular visits by doctors and/or nurses
reporting to a doctor
The Healthcare Directorate of the Hellenic Police Headquarters provides only emergency medical
aid to private patients detained or transferred from Hellenic Police agencies (article 1, par.1, item d
of presidential decree 584/1985), when this is possible.
However, apart from the absence of legal provision for permanent healthcare provision, the
Healthcare Directorate of the Hellenic Police Headquarters also has objective problems, since
police detention facilities operate throughout the country, while a Healthcare Agency with
organised units operates only in two large cities (Athens and Thessaloniki), whose medical staff can
marginally cover the needs of the Hellenic Police staff.
On the basis of the foregoing and given that the Ministry of Health is competent for the health care
of detainee irregular migrants who make up the majority of detainees, the overall response to these
paragraphs must include the relevant response of the Ministry of Health.
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