Between March and September 2025, a series of training sessions were organised for the prison staff from all penitentiary institutions across the Republic of Moldova, bringing together a total of 89 medical and non-medical staff.  The sessions focused on areas of critical importance for health care delivery in prison environments and aimed to better equip staff to address health-related challenges.

The main topics included medical examination upon admission, management of individual medical files and reporting of ill-treatment. The training also addressed screening for mental health, substance use and infectious diseases, together with key aspects of medical ethics such as patient consent, confidentiality and the treatment of vulnerable inmates.

Through interactive sessions, case studies and group discussions, the training encouraged a multidisciplinary approach and strengthened interprofessional communication and cooperation among various professional groups involved in prison health care. It also raised awareness about the importance of early detection of health conditions, the identification of mental health and substance use disorders and the development of a trustful patient–healthcare provider relationship.

This session marks the end of a series of trainings delivered for the penitentiary system, as part of broader efforts to improve health care services in detention facilities and support prison staff development in line with Council of Europe standards. The sessions were organised under the auspices of the Project “Further strengthening the prison and probation system, the provision of health care, and the treatment of patients in closed institutions in the Republic of Moldova.”