[The situation of physician in the state prison--constitutional state guarantees of individual rights].

In Germany, 220,000 persons are imprisoned yearly. Their health care is provided by physicians supported by medical teams in 9 prison hospitals. There is a total of 395 physicians mainly practicing in general medicine, internal medicine, surgery, and psychiatry. Other medical disciplines are represented by external physicians that are paid by fees. It is common to consult external physicians which can be explained by the legislation ruling the penal system. The prison administration has to provide a health care of equal quality as outside of prison. A pathology typical in prison, the unproportional representation of certain social groups (poor people, foreigners) and diseases (mental diseases, drug abuse, tbc, hepatitis, HIV) request an expanded profile of expertise from the physician. Except the task of health care, the physician is included in executive functions. Thus, the physician is exposed to control by non-medical institutions.