ENSURING THE RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE FOR GROUPS VULNERABLE TO HIV IN PENITENTIARY INSTITUTIONS AND PRE-TRIAL DETENTION CENTERS IN UKRAINE

Objective The aim: To consider the problems of penitentiary health care for groups vulnerable to HIV in penitentiary institutions and pre-trial detention centers in Ukraine, and to determine the state of implementation of the rights of prisoners to health care. Patients and methods Materials and methods: When writing this article, the authors used a number of scientific and special study methods: regulatory method, dialectical method, statistical method. We also conducted an anonymous survey of 150 released persons from penitentiary institutions and 25 medical workers from 7 penitentiary institutions and correctional colonies in different regions of Ukraine to assess the quality and availability of medical care for convicts vulnerable to HIV infection, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis. Conclusion Conclusions: The right to health-care of convicted prisoners must be ensured in compliance with the principle of free choice of specialist according to health-care law, health-care standards and clinical protocols (in other words, amount and standards of health-care available for prisoners must be the same as that available for other people). In practice prisoners are thrown out of the national health-care system, and the Ministry of Justice is unable to meet all needs. This can have a disastrous result as the penitentiary system will produce sick people who pose threat for civil society.