The Ghana Prisons Service has expanded access to quality and affordable healthcare for inmates, officers, and residents of nearby communities with the commissioning of a new facility.
This follows the inauguration of its first clinic on Friday, August 29, 2025, at Roman Ridge, adjacent to the James Camp Prison in the Greater Accra Region.
The newly built facility is fully equipped with an Outpatient Department (OPD), in-patient ward, pharmacy, laboratory, dental and ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) units, as well as antenatal and nutrition services.
It also offers additional social support services and is duly accredited by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA).
Speaking at the ceremony, the Director-General of Prisons, Mrs. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (Esq.), described the clinic as the realization 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 forms part of the broader transformational agenda under the “THINK PRISONS 360 DEGREES” programme, which focuses on key areas such as agricultural mechanization, officer and inmate welfare, rebranding, industrialization, digitalization, and advocacy.
Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie further disclosed that plans are well 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.
She also expressed gratitude to sponsors including Absa Bank, Fidelity Bank, UNODC, Kofikrom, and Tobinco Pharmaceuticals for their diverse contributions towards the construction of the clinic.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Ministry of Interior, Solomon Mensah praised the Prisons Administration for the reform, highlighting that the new facility signifies 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.
Dignitaries present at the event included members of the Prisons Directorate, the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon and Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr. John Setor Dumelo, a representative of UNODC, Mr. Christoph Capelle, representatives of sister security services, queen mothers, and other distinguished personalities.
