Where doctors are scarce, hopes rest on telemedicine. The trial operation of the video consultation hour for prisoners ran successfully. Now it is being introduced permanently.
Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) – Telemedicine is to be introduced as a standard offer in prisons in Baden-Württemberg. This was announced by Minister of Justice Marion Gentges (CDU) in Stuttgart. Since June 2018, there have been around 17,000 telemedicine treatments in the country’s prisons. The pilot project started four years ago in six institutions.
In 2020, a total of 3770 treatments took place under pandemic conditions, in 2021 there were already 5297. By mid-August of this year there were 4051 treatments in the 17 institutions in the country. Gentges said: “Through telemedicine, doctors can guarantee optimal medical care from their practice – regardless of the time of day or day of the week.” This is an enormous gain for the care of the prisoners, since the processes would be simplified and also accelerated.
With telemedicine, a general practitioner or psychiatrist can be connected to the prison’s infirmary at any time of the day or night within minutes, according to the ministry. If necessary, the nursing service can act as an extended arm of the doctor in treatment and diagnostics.
There are also difficulties in filling all vacancies with doctors in the country’s prisons. According to a spokesman for the minister, 30.8 of the 48.5 posts in the medical service are currently occupied.
