Recognising its importance, the Council of Europe has consistently supported Armenian national authorities in enhancing healthcare accessibility for individuals deprived of liberty by integrating telemedicine into prison healthcare strategies. This included a needs assessment, policy recommendations, specific software development, donation of necessary hardware, awareness raising and capacity building of medical and non-medical staff. Following the Council of Europe’s advice, Armenian authorities have expanded partnerships between prison healthcare and civil hospitals.

On 4 July, a memorandum of understanding on telemedicine was signed between the Prison Medical Centre and Yerevan’s St. Gregory the Illuminator Medical Centre – one of the largest public hospitals of Armenia. This agreement will facilitate teleconsultations, enabling prisoners to receive specialised medical advice remotely. Such collaborations represent an important step towards securing the right to healthcare for all persons deprived of liberty.

Telemedicine, which involves remote diagnosis and treatment of patients using telecommunications technology, offers crucial benefits in environments like prisons, where access to traditional medical care can be challenging. By connecting public and prison healthcare systems through telecommunications, certain barriers to healthcare access for inmates can be overcome: this approach will ensure timely and specialised medical consultations without the need for physical transfer of inmates to external medical facilities.

Another recent support measure to facilitate the use of telemedicine was a skill-based training session held on 8-9 July 2024 in Hankavan, Armenia. Organised in collaboration with national authorities, the event brought together medical staff from all Armenian penitentiary institutions, along with representatives from the Ministry of Health and civil hospitals. The primary objective of the training was to equip participants with the latest international standards and best practices in telemedicine. To that end, the participants immersed themselves in workshops covering legal and ethical considerations, the unique challenges and opportunities of telemedicine in penitentiary settings, and strategies for effective tele-expertise.

The event is a part of the Council of Europe’s support within the framework of the Project “Strengthening the protection of the rights of persons in detention” that assists the national authorities to further enhance penitentiary reform, prison health care and the protection of human rights of persons deprived of liberty. The Project is financed within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026 and implemented by the Council of Europe.