The Ankaful Maximum Security Prison in the Central region is among several Ghana Prisons Service facilities currently facing growing challenges in delivering health care to inmates and staff.
Authorities say critical shortages of essential medicines have reduced the Service’s ability to provide timely and adequate medical attention to inmates.
To address the shortfall, the Ghana Prisons Service has launched a centralized “Medicine Bank” initiative aimed at ensuring a steady, reliable supply of drugs to prison facilities nationwide.
The Service says the programme is intended to reduce delays in treatment and lessen the need to transfer inmates to external hospitals when supplies run out.
In support of the initiative, the Central Regional Division of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) donated assorted essential medicines to the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison and conducted free health screenings for the inmates.
Addressing the press, Dr. Emmanuel Owusu Ofori, Chairman of the Central Regional GMA, said the donation reflects the Association’s commitment to promoting healthy living for all, including prisoners.
“This donation reflects our responsibility to contribute to the Medicine Bank initiative, particularly in institutions that are often underserved,”
Dr. Ofori said, adding that access to basic healthcare is a fundamental need and that supporting inmates extends care to a neglected segment of society. He urged stronger collaboration between public and private institutions and expressed optimism that sustained partnerships will help close long‑standing healthcare gaps in Ghana’s prison system.
Central Regional Prison Chaplain ADP Rev. Joseph Adobaw‑Ogoe, who received the donation on behalf of the facility, acknowledged that inadequate medical supplies have long hindered effective healthcare delivery. He said shortages sometimes force the prison to transfer inmates to nearby hospitals and welcomed the GMA’s support as likely to improve access to care within the facility.
The Ghana Prisons Service says it will continue to expand the Medicine Bank and solicit partnerships to ensure uninterrupted medical services for inmates and officers.
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