Healthcare services in the medical units of penitentiary institutions are provided in former cells affecting the quality of the services provided. The surface of the walls and the floor in the doctors’ rooms are an issue. In all rooms where diagnostic tests or small surgical interventions are conducted, the floor must be covered with antistatic linoleum. Ventilation is also a matter of concern. The same is true about the quality and technical maintenance of the medical equipment at penitentiary institutions. RECOMMENDATION TO THE MINISTER OF CORRECTIONS: •• Install an appropriate ventilation system in the operating room and the X-ray room at the Treatment Institution for Accused and Convicted Persons and ensure good working of the Institution’s ventilation system •• Review the decision of the Chairman of the Penitentiary Department on installing surveillance cameras in all the rooms at the psychiatry ward and protect privacy of patients •• Make the medical units of penitentiary institutions compatible with the standards applicable in the whole country, including by properly equipping these medical units and controlling the quality of their medical equipment, putting the ventilation systems in good order and laying antistatic linoleum on the floors 2.5.3.  ACCESS TO MEDICATIONS Timely access to appropriate medications is a key to achieving success in treatment. According to Article 24 of the Code of Imprisonment, accused and convicted persons have the right to be provided with the needed healthcare services. Where necessary, accused and convicted persons should have access to medications and items permitted in pretrial detention facilities/places of deprivation of liberty. Upon request, accused and convicted persons have the right to buy, on their own money, medications that are more expensive than the institution-procured drugs or have properties similar to institution-procured drugs. Monitoring showed that the prisoners cannot enjoy this right because none of the penitentiary institutions except the Institution no. 15 has a pharmacy where prisoners can buy medicines at.141 Pharmacies are not operational in other institutions. The relevant normative acts do not envisage the right of prisoners to receive medicines from their relatives. Substitution of prescribed medications remains a problem. We understand that, by making a list of basic medications for the use in the penitentiary healthcare system, the Ministry of Corrections determined medications it undertakes to provide to the penitentiary institutions at its own expense. In addition, the Order of the Minister 141 By December 2014, no pharmacies were functional in the following penitentiary institutions: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19 88 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM OF GEORGIA