Preparations for the Mission f. Preparation for physical examination Local resources may be limited in some countries. Although many health professionals may prefer to work with their own basic equipment, standard kits (see Annex 2) should be available for the missions, such as • • • • A documentation kit A basic medical examination kit A personal kit A first aid kit Depending on the mission and the local facilities, it may be useful to bring a sexual assault kit. Collaboration with local partners is essential (see Chapter 6). g. Existing medical and nonmedical information, including photographs If existing medical information is available, this should be sent to the team as soon as possible prior to the mission, and translated beforehand if needed. The information can consist of: data on medical history prior to torture, medical records on entry or exit from detention or from transfer between detention facilities, medical records following the alleged torture, including the results of any medical diagnostic tests, etc. Photographs that may help to illustrate specific injuries following the alleged torture are particularly useful. Preferably, these should clearly identify the examinee and the anatomical location of the photograph, as well as the date when the photographs were taken. Non-medical information may also be useful for the examination and overall assessment of the allegations of torture. This information can consist of: legal affidavits, witness statements, similar/ related stories of torture, information of common torture methods in the country/region, etc. If such information is available, it should also be sent to the team as soon as possible prior to the mission, and translated beforehand if needed. In case of confidentiality and security concerns, the information should be made accessible to the team at the point of arrival, and time should be allocated for assessment of the information prior to the interviews with the alleged victims. h. Diagnostic facilities in the country Clinical skills are the most important diagnostic tool for a medical examination. Diagnostics tests may however provide relevant additional information. Existing medical data, along with information on the alleged torture methods applied, may indicate the need for further medical tests or scans to be ordered. Prior to the mission the team should assess which diagnostic tests it may need and the possibilities for these tests to be carried out. The examiners may prefer to request relevant tests be performed prior to the mission, so that the results may be taken into consideration at the point of the 21