The Ghana Prisons Service has commissioned its first clinic in the Greater Accra Region to expand access to quality and affordable healthcare for inmates, officers, and residents of nearby communities.
The new facility, situated at the James Camp Prisons, has an Outpatients Department (OPD), a ward, pharmacy, laboratory, dental and Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) units, as well as providing antenatal and nutrition services.
It also offers additional social support services and accredited by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA).
Mrs Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (ESQ.), the Director-General of Prisons, described the clinic as the realisation of a vision conceived five years ago to reduce dependence on external referrals and provide timely, reliable medical care within the prison system.
She noted that the initiative formed part of the broader transformational agenda under the “THINK PRISONS 360 DEGREES” programme, which focused on key areas such as agricultural mechanisation, officer and inmate welfare, rebranding, industrialisation, digitalisation, and advocacy.
Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie said plans were advanced for the establishment of an ultra-modern prisons hospital and a specialist facility to significantly improve healthcare delivery within the Service.
She appealed for broader support to make this long-term vision a reality.
The DG expressed gratitude to the sponsors, including ABSA Bank, Fidelity Bank, UNODC, Kofikrom, and Tobinco Pharmaceuticals for their diverse contributions that made the construction possible.
Mr Solomon Mensah, a representative from the Ministry of Interior, commended the Prisons Administration for the reform.
He said the new facility signified a paradigm shift in the prison system from neglect and inadequate care to rehabilitation, dignity, and restoration.
The clinic will be manned by a dedicated 24-hour medical team, comprising medical doctors, physician assistants, nurses, midwives, clinical psychologists, laboratory technicians, and public health officers.