Universal-Womens-accesss-to-justice-Publications-Practitioners-Guide-Series-2016-ENG

60 PRACTITIONERS GUIDE No. 12
“3. The health-care service shall provide for the
psychiatric treatment of all other prisoners
who are in need of such treatment.” 154
‣ Prison officials should be trained in the detection of
mental health problems in order to be able to
identify prisoners in need promptly. 155 Suicide and
self-harm prevention should also be prioritised. 156
Standards for medical care and access to female medical
practitioners
‣ Denial of medical treatment in prison has been
identified as a form of ill-treatment. 157 Women in
prison or detention are particularly vulnerable to illtreatment
as a result of being deprived access to
necessary healthcare services. Good quality
healthcare services should therefore be made
available in any kind of detention facility or prison.
‣ Healthcare services should, in this regard, be at
least equivalent to those available in the
community. 158
‣ As far as possible, healthcare services for women
should be provided by women professionals. Where
this is not possible, a female staff member must be
154
Ibid, Rule 109.
155
Bangkok Rules, above note 128, Rule 35; and Mandela Rules,
above note 123, Rule 76(d).
156
Bangkok Rules, above note 128, Rule 16.
157
See for example: Mika Miha v Equatorial Guinea, Human Rights
Committee Communication 414/1990, UN Doc CCPR/C/51/D/414/1990
(1994), paragraph 6.4; Brown v Jamaica, Human Rights Committee
Communication 775/1997, UN Doc CCPR/C/65/D/775/1997 (1999),
paragraph 6.13; C v Australia, above note 151, paragraph 8.4; Mulezi
v Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Committee
Communication 962/2001, UN Doc CCPR/C/81/D/962/2001 (2004),
paragraph 5.3.
158
Bangkok Rules, above note 128, Rule 10(1); and Mandela Rules,
above note 123, Rule 24(1).