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Medical
Service in Prisons Remains an Unresolved Problem
July 13, 2006
During the period May-July 2006, a group of AHC
experts conducted observations in some
Institutions for the Execution of Penal
Decisions
in order to monitor respect for the rights of
persons serving prison terms, and particularly
the treatment of ill convicts and the provision
of medical service at these institutions.
During the monitoring, it resulted that, in
comparison to the period November 2005 – January
2006, when AHC conducted other observations,
positive steps have been undertaken.
At the Prison Hospital, the laboratory and
ambulant service were fully functioning; at the
302 detention institution in Tirana, all
detainees had a medical record and relations had
been established with the Institute of Hygiene
to conduct hepatitis C tests and sexually
transmitted diseases.
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Situation of mentally ill persons.
Their treatment is a flagrant violation and
failure to respect several legal acts,
namely:
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Article 82, item 1 of the United Nations
document of “Standard Minimum Rules for
the Treatment of Prisoners”, which
sanctions that, “Persons who are
found to be insane shall not be detained
in prisons; arrangements shall be made
to remove them to mental institutions as
soon as possible;
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Law no. 8331, dated 21.4.1998, “On the
execution of penal decisions”, according
to which, “medical measures of forced
medication are executed at the
specialized medical institution …”
(article 45).
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Law no. 8328, dated 16.4.1998 “On the
rights and treatment of persons
sentenced to imprisonment,” which says,
“Mentally ill persons or persons with
mental or psychic disturbances shall be
placed at special medical institutions
or special sections at prisons or
hospitals outside the prison system to
medicate them” (article 16).
AHC calls upon the Ministry of Justice and the
General Directory of Prisons to take, based on
the law, the following measures:
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Resolve the issue
of providing medicaments and medical
supplies for all detention institutions and
prisons that are under the responsibility of
these institutions;
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Take measures to
provide special treatment to permanently ill
persons, those suffering from physical or
mental illnesses, and provide the necessary
medicaments for them;
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Take measures for a
specialized treatment of detained and
convicted women, offering necessary services
for them and provide depistations (colposcopy,
x-rays, mammograms, and gynecological
tests).
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Accelerate steps
for the center of ill persons to start
functioning and transfer persons who need
specialized treatment there.
The Albanian Helsinki Committee hopes that the
Ministry of Justice and the General Directory of
Prisons will address the above issues seriously
and take the necessary measures for their
resolution according to requirements of the law,
as soon as possible.
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