The Ministry of Health will be responsible for medical services for prisoners in Kazakhstan

The Ministry of Health will now be responsible for medical services in Kazakhstan's colonies.

"The transfer of the functions of medical support of convicts to the Ministry of Health within the framework of the reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to release from uncharacteristic functions and modernize the penitentiary system will allow wide access to modern methods of examination, diagnosis, and treatment. It will also provide medical workers with independence from the administration of institutions, which will eliminate the concealment of possible illegal actions", the website of the Minister of Internal Affairs Yerlan Turgumbayev quotes.

It is noted that the system of medical support of the UIS is in an unequal position with the medical care of the civil sector in terms of resources, quality, and control of services.

The main problem in the Ministry of Internal Affairs is called the lack of medical staff. At the same time, the salary of medical workers of the UIS institutions is lower than that of employees of the civil health sector.

It is reported that civil healthcare also has a significant material and technical base and more qualified medical specialists with extensive practical experience. Therefore, the Commission on the reform of the law enforcement and judicial systems supported the proposals of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the transfer of medical support to the Ministry of Health of persons held in penitentiary institutions.

"According to the minimum standard rules adopted by the UN General Assembly, convicts should be provided with the same standards of health care that exist in society. Therefore, the transfer of the functions of medical support for persons in custody to a civil agency is a significant historical event in Kazakhstan", added Zhanna Nazarova, head of the PRI representative office in Central Asia.

According to the website, on July 19, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree "On measures to improve the public administration system of the Republic of Kazakhstan".

Earlier it was reported that the Ministry of Internal Affairs wants to transfer the issue of medical care of prisoners to the Ministry of Health.

"We have been asking for a year that medical services in (institutions) The Committee of the Penal Enforcement System (CUIS) were provided by the Ministry of Health. Because we are constantly criticized that access to medical services is very difficult for us, and human rights activists often talk about this. We would have lowered the mortality rate, probably reduced the frequent morbidity (of prisoners)", the Interior Minister said, speaking in the Senate in February 2020.

A source:https://tengrinews.kz/kazakhstan_news/meduslugi-zaklyuchennyih-kazahstane-otvechat-minzdrav-443915/