Issues related to healthcare within penitentiary institutions of Armenia and Georgia discussed

A round-table discussion entitled "Healthcare within the penitentiary system: the Armenian and Georgian practices" was held today with the participation of Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Suren Krmoyan. Representatives of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, the Penitentiary Department of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, the Staff of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia and civil society took part in the discussion.

The meeting was organised for the purpose of considering the issues related to prison healthcare in both countries and the possible solutions to them in comparison and exchanging the best practices.

According to Deputy Minister Suren Krmoyan, improvement of healthcare services within penitentiary institutions is one of the priority objectives of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, and in this regard, the Ministry of Justice has already taken necessary measures to completely modernise primary healthcare services within all the penitentiary institutions of the Republic of Armenia by the end of the year.

Representative of the Georgian branch of Penal Reform International Bakar Jikia expressed satisfaction with the willingness for open co-operation and emphasised that co-operation in such a format will be ongoing.

During the meeting, the participants of the discussion were introduced to the Armenian and Georgian practices of the reforms taking place in the healthcare sectors at penitentiary institutions, as well as the ad hoc report of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia on issues related to the exercise of the right of persons deprived of liberty to health protection within penitentiary institutions of the Republic of Armenia. The discussion ended with a question–and-answer session.