accessibility of essential drugs, reproductive health, equal and timely access to basic preventive, curative, rehabilitative health services and health education; and access to goods
and services that are scientifically and medically appropriate and of good quality.260
Preventive health care has particular importance for the realisation of the right to health,
which implies promotion of health and general living conditions, nutrition, sanitation,
physical and mental activity, implementation of target-oriented activities in prisons aimed
at prevention of pathologies such as infectious diseases, mental health, substance-dependence and violence.
The Special Preventive Group, within the monitoring conducted in penitentiary establishments in 2016, paid particular attention to the effectiveness of the penitentiary health
care system and existing challenges. During the monitoring, the group interviewed prisoners and personnel of the penitentiary establishments and inspected situation in the
medical units of penitentiary establishments. It is noteworthy that the Public Defender,
with the financial support of the Open Society Georgia Foundation, carries out research
on the promotion of the right to health in penitentiary establishments. The report on this
issue is underway and will be published.
3.9.1. FINANCING THE GEORGIAN PENITENTIARY HEALTH CARE, ITS
ORGANISATIONAL ASPECTS AND THE REFORMS ACCOMPLISHED
In 2016, significant structural changes were made; in particular, the Medical Regulation
Division was separated from the Medical Department of the Ministry of Corrections and
moved under the Inspectorate General of the Ministry as the Division for Controlling the
Quality of Medical Services. The terms of references of the Division are stipulated in the
statute261 of the Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Corrections and have been in
force since 26 December 2016.
The work performed by the Medical Regulation Division of the Medical Department of
the Ministry of Corrections is positively assessed. The Division inspected nutrition, sanitation and hygiene conditions, medical units, x-ray equipment, waste management, and
processing of medical and archive documentation.
The approval of job descriptions for the Medical Department staff of the Ministry of Corrections is positively assessed. The job descriptions clearly stipulate the duties and functions of the personnel of structural and territorial units of the department.262
The Public Defender of Georgia welcomes the approval of the procedure for documenting
bodily injuries that could have been caused due to torture and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment in penitentiary establishments. The procedure has been developed
based on the recommendations of the Istanbul Protocol.263 Besides, for improving the
260 General comment no. 14 (2000) on the right to health, adopted by the Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights.
261 Approved by Order no. 55 of the Minister of Corrections of Georgia of 25 June 2015.
262 Approved by Order no. 2255 of the Minister of Corrections of Georgia of 6 May 2016.
263 Approved by Order no. 131 of the Minister of Corrections of Georgia of 26 October 2016.
126
HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CLOSED INSTITUTIONS
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