A three-week training course for medical staff of prison colonies concluded on 1 November 2012. The course was organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the State Penitentiary Service and was hosted by the Training centre for prison staff.

Twenty-two staff of medical units from all the colonies in Kyrgyzstan took part in the course, which covered medical subjects, such as HIV and tuberculosis prevention, treatment of alcohol and drug addiction, response to overdose, and other topics, such as human rights and relevant legislation.

“Medical staff play a crucial role in caring for the inmates and reducing negative effects imprisonment has on their health and psychological state,” said Miroslaw Nowak, Penitentiary Reform Advisor of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. “Their training and development also contributes to maintaining the human dignity of the inmates.”

The training course was organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek as part of its programme aimed at supporting penitentiary reform in Kyrgyzstan.