Medical care for prisoners

Pravica do zdravstvenega varstva je ustavno varovana kategorija človekovih pravic in temeljnih svoboščin, katera se ne glede na osebne okoliščine in družbeni položaj posameznika mora zagotavljati vsakomur. Tudi okoliščina odvzema prostosti, zaradi prestajanja zaporne kazni ni nobena izjema. Čeprav upravičen odvzem prostosti ne pomeni kršitve človekovih pravic in temeljnih svoboščin, lahko le ta zaradi stresa in tesnobe, ki ju obsojenec pri tem doživlja, negativno vpliva na njegovo zdravje. To pomeni, da je potrebno zdravje zapornika spremljati ves čas prestajanja zaporne kazni ter mu nuditi ustrezno zdravstveno oskrbo. Za zdravstveno oskrbo obsojencev so primarno odgovorni pristojni regionalni zdravstveni domovi. Obsojencem pa zdravstveno oskrbo nudijo tudi zdravstveni delavci, zaposleni pri Upravi za izvrševanje kazenskih sankcij. Po potrebi se obsojence napoti tudi k specialistom v zunanje zdravstvene ustanove. V primeru pomanjkljive zdravstvene oskrbe, obstaja tveganje kršitve 3. člena Evropske konvencije o varstvu človekovih pravic in temeljnih svoboščin. Kršitve na predlog pritožnika presoja Evropsko sodišče za človekove pravice, katero je oblikovalo bogato sodno prakso s tega področja. Evropsko sodišče za človekove pravice s svojimi sodbami, države članice opominja, da je varovanje telesne celovitosti zapornika med drugim tudi dolžnost države. Dolžnost države je, da zagotovi spoštovanje dostojanstva obsojenca in zaprtih oseb ne izpostavlja trpljenju, večjemu kot je potrebno za dosego namena kaznovanja. Dolžnost države je torej, da se pred sprejemom obsojenca v zavod za prestajanje kazni zapora prepriča, da je le ta sposoben in primeren za prestajanje zaporne kazni. Nadalje mora država zapornikom zagotavljati primerno, kakovostno in varno zdravstveno oskrbo. Dolžnost države pa je tudi prilagoditev zdravstvenim potrebam obsojencev s posebnimi potrebami, kar je v Republiki Slovenijo še posebej problematično. Obsojenci, ki menijo, da jim je kršena pravica do ustrezne zdravstvene oskrbe imajo poleg pritožbe na Evropsko sodišče za človekove pravice na voljo, tudi številna druga pravna sredstva na podlagi nacionalnih predpisov, s katerimi lahko zahtevajo odpravo kršitev ter povrnitev povzročene škode. Nad ustreznim zagotavljanjem človekovih pravic in temeljnih svoboščin bdijo Evropski odbor za preprečevanje mučenja in nečloveškega ali ponižujočega ravnanja ali kaznovanja, Varuh človekovih pravic Republike Slovenije, Ministrstvo za pravosodje ter predsednik pristojnega okrožnega sodišča.The right to health care is a constitutionally protected category of human rights and fundamental freedomsit must be guaranteed to everyone, regardless of the personal circumstances and social status of the individual. The deprivation of freedom due to serving a prison sentence is no exception. Although justified deprivation of freedom does not constitute a violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, it can adversely affect a person’s health due to the stress and anxiety experienced by the convict. The prisoner’s health should be monitored throughout the entire imprisonment and the prisoner must be provided with appropriate medical care. Primarily, the competent regional health centres are responsible for the medical care of convicts. Convicts are also provided with medical care by medical staff employed by the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions. If necessary, convicts are also referred to specialists in external medical institutions. In case of deficiency in medical care, there is a risk of violation of Article 3 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Following a proposal of the applicant, the violations are assessed by the European Court of Human Rights. With its judgements, the European Court of Human Rights reminds the Member States that the protection of the physical integrity of a prisoner is, inter alia, the duty of the state. The state must ensure respect for the dignity of the convict and to not expose prisoners to suffering greater than necessary to achieve the purpose of punishment. Therefore, the state must satisfy that the convict is capable and suitable for serving a prison sentence before admitting the convict to prison. Furthermore, the state must provide prisoners with adequate, quality, and safe medical care. The state must adapt to the health needs of convicts with special needs, which is especially problematic in the Republic of Slovenia. In addition to appealing to the European Court of Human Rights, convicts who believe that their right to adequate medical care has been violated also have several other legal remedies available under national law, which may call for the violations and damage to be remedied. The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia, the Ministry of Justice, and the President of the competent district court oversee the adequate provision of human rights and fundamental freedoms