The Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe Bjørn Berge visited the Republic of Moldova. During the two-day visit, he and the Minister of Justice, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru hosted a handover ceremony of important medical equipment to cover the outstanding prison healthcare needs and thus meet the standards established by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT). This is the second donation of medical equipment by the Council of Europe to Moldovan prisons.

The donation made within the framework of the Project “Strengthening the prison and probation reforms, provision of health care and treatment of patients in closed institutions in the Republic of Moldova” contains among other patient monitors, surgical tables, an electroencephalograph, lamps for examination, a laptop portable ultrasound scanner, medical furniture and other essentials for the delivery of medical services. This donation continues the support the Council of Europe provides to the Moldovan prison system since 2018 when a comprehensive assessment of healthcare needs within prisons was made within the framework of a previous Council of Europe project, followed by a first donation of medical equipment in 2020.

In his opening remarks of the handover ceremony, the Deputy Secretary General emphasised: “The excellent co-operation and partnership between the Council of Europe and the Moldovan authorities is no doubt delivering and helps us raise together the standard of healthcare in prisons and thereby also health and long-term well-being of prisoners”.

The Minister of Justice praised the Council's ongoing support through the ongoing project "Strengthening the prison and probation reforms, provision of health care and treatment of patients in closed institutions in the Republic of Moldova". "Improving conditions in prisons, including ensuring quality health care for all detained individuals, is a priority for the Ministry of Justice. Equipping prison medical facilities with modern equipment will significantly contribute to the enhancement of the quality of medical services provided to prisoners and to ensure the respect of their right to health. We express our gratitude towards the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau for its valuable contribution and unwavering support of our efforts to create decent conditions of detention, in compliance with international standards", the Minister stressed.

Addressing systemic issues identified by the European Court of Human Rights and the CPT, the Project reflects the priorities established in the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova and the EU accession agenda, including working on further enhancing the management, improving the quality of health care as well as material conditions in prison medical units. This, in turn, should lead to creating a more positive climate for the rehabilitation of prisoners, facilitating their reintegration into society.