The Ghana Prisons Service has launched a Prisons Service Medicine and Equipment Bank to improve access to essential drugs and medical supplies for inmates nationwide.

The bank will serve as a central system for mobilising, storing and distributing medicines and medical equipment to prisons nationwide.

It also seeks to strengthen healthcare delivery within correctional facilities and to contribute to safeguarding public health.

The launch in Accra last Thursday was on the theme: “Prisons health is public health: Strategic mobilisation of drugs and medical supplies for prisons across the country”.

It brought together Members of Parliament (MPs) and other stakeholders, including the MP for La Dadekotopon and Deputy Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah; the MP for Esikado-Ketan and Deputy Minister of Health, Prof. Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah; the Chairman of the Pharmacy Council of Ghana, Joseph Yieleh Chireh and the Prisons Service Council Chair, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi.

It also featured donations of cash, medicines and medical equipment from individuals and companies.

Critical

Prof. Ayensu-Danquah said the bank was a critical intervention that would help to bridge gaps in healthcare within correctional facilities.

“No one should be denied quality healthcare because of their circumstances. This initiative ensures that inmates receive the care they deserve, while also protecting the wider community,” she said.

Prof. Ayensu-Danquah said improving prison healthcare was essential to national health security, stressing that diseases could easily spread beyond prison walls if not properly managed.

She added that establishing the bank would provide a reliable system for mobilising and distributing medicines and equipment to prisons nationwide.

Prof. Ayensu-Danquah further called on stakeholders, including pharmaceutical companies and development partners, to support the initiative to ensure its sustainability.

Prison healthcare

The Director-General of Prisons, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, said the bank would address longstanding challenges related to inadequate medical supplies in prisons.

“With this Medicine and Equipment Bank, we are creating a dependable system to ensure that our facilities are adequately stocked to meet the health needs of inmates,” she said.

She explained that the initiative would improve the efficiency of healthcare delivery and enhance the overall well-being of inmates.

Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie further appealed to corporate organisations and the public to support the bank through donations and partnerships.

Delivering a speech on behalf of the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, a Director at the ministry, Gloria McCarthy, said that many prison facilities continued to face challenges, including limited access to medicines, logistical constraints and pressure on existing health systems, which could heighten the risk of disease outbreaks.

She said the establishment of the Medicine and Equipment Bank was, therefore, a timely intervention to address those gaps.

“This initiative is not only about supporting inmates but about protecting society at large. When inmates are released, they return to our communities and their health status affects all of us,” she added.

She further called for sustained collaboration among government agencies, the private sector and development partners to ensure the success of the initiative.