Quality of medical aid to be improved at penitentiary institutions: Ministry of Justice establishing a "Penitentiary Medical Centre" SNCO

A "Penitentiary Medical Centre" State Non-Commercial Organisation will be established in order to provide proper and quality medical aid to detained persons and convicts being kept at the penitentiary institutions of the Ministry of Justice. This is what Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Davit Harutyunyan stated during a session of the Government of the Republic of Armenia convened on 1 March, highlighting the fact that there is an issue of principle in the existing system, that is, the lack of independence of professionals of the medical staff.

According to Minister Harutyunyan, preconditions for the integration of a penitentiary medical aid service into the system of public healthcare and the improvement of the quality of medical aid and services being provided will be created through adoption of the draft. "It is proposed to establish a structure providing medical services under the subordination of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia which, on the one hand, will provide the opportunity to increase confidence in the medical services provided at penitentiary institutions and, on the other hand, most importantly, will ensure the independence of doctors from the penitentiary service," Davit Harutyunyan highlighted.

Let us mention that the need for implementation of reforms in the sector arises from the concept paper on "Modernisation of Medical Services at Penitentiary Institutions of the Republic of Armenia", according to which the solution to the issue of modernisation of medical services at penitentiary institutions is greatly connected with the ensuring of institutional effectiveness of the existing penitentiary healthcare system.