Medical care in penitentiary system unsatisfactory – Lubinets
The system of medical care in Ukraine's penitentiary institutions is a cause for concern, Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said.
"We conducted 13 visits to medical facilities in the penitentiary system. A worrying trend is evident in systemic violations of patients' rights: inpatient hospitalization is decreasing, while the number of referrals to psychiatric institutions is increasing. There is a serious staff shortage, difficult access to doctors, and the requirements of the Istanbul Protocol are being ignored when documenting bodily injuries," he said last week at a meeting of the parliamentary committee on national health, medical care and medical insurance, while presenting the ombudsman's annual report for 2025.
Lubinets also pointed to a critical decline in treatment for people with hepatitis C and violations of isolation requirements for tuberculosis patients.
At the same time, he noted positive trends in expanding substitution maintenance therapy programs and the start of integrating penitentiary medical institutions into the unified medical space.
"Special thanks for the fact that the Health Ministry supported our position and from January 1, 2027, this system will already be part of the general healthcare system," he said.
