A series of measures aimed at tackling delays in the treatment of prisoners at public hospitals, improving the handling of psychiatric cases and strengthening the forensic medicine service were agreed at an interministerial meeting on Friday.

Justice Minister Costas Fitiris and Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides agreed, among other measures, to introduce special arrangements at accident and emergency departments for prisoners, amend legislation governing psychiatric cases and gradually reopen morgues outside Nicosia.

Under the measures, designated parking spaces will be reserved at hospitals for police vehicles transporting prisoners to A&E departments, while prisoners will be examined as a priority.

Specially adapted holding areas are also to be created inside hospitals, with the aim of reducing delays and the amount of time police officers spend accompanying prisoners while they wait to be examined.

Changes are also planned to the psychiatric hospitalisation law, aimed at simplifying procedures for the transport, reception and handover of people requiring psychiatric assessment or hospitalisation.

The forensic medicine service will meanwhile be strengthened with additional staff, while services will also be purchased from external associates to cover existing needs.

Its operating protocol will be updated and provided to police, setting out more clearly the procedures officers should follow and the circumstances in which the presence or assistance of a forensic pathologist is required.

The meeting also decided that morgues outside Nicosia should gradually reopen, beginning with Limassol, in an effort to reduce the number of cases that have to be transported to the capital.

The regional morgues will deal with non-forensic cases, while forensic cases will continue to be handled in Nicosia.

The ministers also discussed delays in investigations into alleged medical negligence, which authorities said were partly caused by difficulties finding doctors able to provide the specialised scientific expertise required in such cases.

The health ministry will now draw up a list of doctors from which police will be able to select experts according to the medical speciality and requirements of each investigation.

Officials from the justice and health ministries, state health services organisation Okypy and the police leadership also attended Friday’s meeting.

A second interministerial meeting will be held at a later stage to assess progress in implementing the decisions and finalise issues which remain outstanding.