[Medical discretion versus duty to warn by physicians in prisons-- view of the prison governers].

We appreciate that the limits of medical discretion in penal execution have been clarified by the legislature with the law issued at August 26, 1999. From the point of view of a head of an institution, this law makes it possible to achieve acceptable results in any relevant case-combinations. The "circumspect head of an institution" should, as far as his general responsibilities allow, make use of his right to be informed in a very restricted way. This right is given by the particular conditions in penal execution. The implementation of this law within the institution requires the following: To inform the prisoners on the existing obligations and rights of information. To inform physicians working within institutions on a general level about existing duties without making provisions for particular cases. To name the recipients of information from the medical sector.