Discussion devoted to improvement of penitentiary hospital services was held

Today, a working meeting on the topic of "Strengthening healthcare and human rights protection in prisons in Armenia" took place with the participation of Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Suren Krmoyan. During the working meeting, conceptual solutions for improving hospital care for persons in penitentiary institutions were discussed. Greeting the participants at the opening of the meeting, Suren Krmoyan briefly presented the reforms recently implemented by the Ministry of Justice in the primary health maintenance sector within the penitentiary system, assuring that the reforms concerning primary health maintenance services provided at penitentiary institutions are drawing to an end, and as a result of this, the ambulatory polyclinic services provided at penitentiary institutions will be of the same volume and quality as they are at civil medical institutions. At the same time, Deputy Minister Krmoyan added that the problem of recruitment of healthcare professionals within the penitentiary system would also be solved in the near future.

Afterwards, international expert Jörg Pont and local experts Izabela Abgaryan and Roza Babayan presented the report prepared as a result of needs assessment made for the purpose of recommending effective models for modernising hospital services of the penitentiary system, as well as the conclusions and recommendations made based on the report.

The meeting was followed by a question-and-answer discussion with the participants.