Armenia has made significant progress in expanding the use of telemedicine across its penitentiary healthcare system, ensuring more equitable and efficient access to medical services for persons deprived of liberty.

Through the dedicated efforts of national health and justice authorities and with support of the Council of Europe, Armenia has built a strong foundation for deploying telemedicine solutions in prisons. This initiative enhances access to specialised medical care, improves the efficiency of healthcare delivery, and ensures continuity of care between penitentiary institutions and the broader healthcare network. By linking prisons with leading civilian hospitals, telemedicine is helping to bridge the gap between correctional and community healthcare, enabling regular specialist consultations, better management of chronic diseases, and faster medical responses — all while maintaining safety and operational integrity.

Between September and November 2025, Armenian penitentiary healthcare teams conducted on-site assessments in 10 facilities across the country. These visits evaluated infrastructure and technical readiness for telemedicine. It also provided hands-on mentoring for healthcare staff on operating and maintaining telemedicine systems. The findings and recommendations from this phase will guide the sustainable integration of digital health services throughout the penitentiary system.

Eight of Armenia’s largest civilian hospitals have joined the telemedicine network at present to provide specialist consultations and ongoing support to prison healthcare providers. In parallel, new national financial and regulatory mechanisms now ensure reimbursement for telemedicine consultations, creating grounds for building a sustainable and scalable model for penitentiary care.

While developed with support from the Council of Europe, these achievements reflect Armenia’s commitment to modernising its healthcare system and ensuring that all individuals, including those in detention, have access to quality medical services.

This activity is part of the Council of Europe project “Further Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty”, implemented under the Action Plan for Armenia 2023–2026.