CAT/C/54/2 ill-equipped to provide necessary medical services or are located some distance from such services, making access difficult. In the light of the presumed temporary or short-term nature of pretrial detention, some detainees may be denied treatment that requires a longer term commitment or there may be an interruption to any ongoing treatment they require. In some instances pretrial detainees may not be able to participate in some medical treatment programmes that are aimed at facilitating the recovery and rehabilitation of convicted detainees. Accordingly, the Subcommittee recalls principle 24 of the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, which states: “A proper medical examination shall be offered to a detained or imprisoned person as promptly as possible after his admission to the place of detention or imprisonment, and thereafter medical care and treatment shall be provided whenever necessary. This care and treatment shall be provided free of charge.” Examinations undertaken in accordance with principle 24 enable health concerns to be identified and appropriate treatment to be recommended; they also provide an opportunity for allegations or signs of torture or other ill-treatment to be examined and documented. 94. States must ensure that the delivery of health services in places of detention, including pretrial detention, meets international standards. To that end, reducing the use of pretrial detention can significantly improve health conditions within places of detention. Ministries of health should be responsible for the delivery of health services to all places of detention, and should work with other ministries to ensure that the State meets its obligations to ensure respect for the humane treatment and health rights of persons deprived of their liberty. That should ensure the independence of health professionals from law enforcement agents and officials and it may entail providing additional training and resources for health professionals and those in charge of the care of persons deprived of their liberty. In particular, health professionals have a key role to play in the prevention and documentation of torture and other ill-treatment and should be trained on the use of the Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the Istanbul Protocol), to effectively investigate and document torture and other ill-treatment. 95. The Subcommittee also recognizes the important role to be played by NPMs in identifying and addressing the system-wide factors that affect the excessive use and misuse of pretrial detention. NPMs are therefore encouraged to submit information to the Subcommittee on the various local conditions that influence the application of pretrial detention in their respective country contexts. The Subcommittee is committed to working with NPMs to find country-specific recommendations to address any problems. D. Concluding remarks 96. Tackling the excessive use and misuse of pretrial detention is a matter of priority for many States parties. However, the Subcommittee recognizes the challenge faced by States parties in addressing issues relating to pretrial detention owing to the range of factors that have an impact on the practice across the broad spectrum of the administration of justice. Addressing the institutional and system-wide failures requires a multi-agency approach; therefore, the Subcommittee is committed to building partnerships across State institutions and agencies, NPMs, the judiciary, legal practitioners, professional organizations, national human rights institutions, NGOs and other national stakeholders. 20