The couple (2nd and 3rd left) with prison officers and Dr. Frank Amoakohene
A newly-wedded couple has sacrificed their honeymoon to improve healthcare and welfare for inmates at the Kumasi Female Prison in the Ashanti Region.
Mr. Peter Kpolly Armah, Chief Executive Officer of the Osagyefo Kpolly Armah Foundation, and his wife, Mrs. Priscilla Kpolly Armah, decided to channel resources meant for their honeymoon into the renovation and commissioning of the Female Prison Health Facility.
The couple also donated bags of rice to the inmates as part of the gesture, undertaken in collaboration with the Ashanti Regional Prisons Command.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Mr. Armah said the decision was borne out of their desire to make a meaningful contribution to the welfare and rehabilitation of female inmates.
He said they were inspired by the biblical injunction in Matthew 25:36: “When I was sick, you visited me.”
According to him, access to healthcare was a matter of dignity and an important component of the rehabilitation of inmates.
“Prison sentence must not be a sentence of neglect. We are not here merely to open a refurbished facility, but to support rehabilitation,” he said.
Mr. Armah called on the government, civil society organisations (CSOs), philanthropists and businesses to deepen their support for correctional facilities.
He also appealed to the media to continue highlighting challenges confronting inmates and correctional institutions.
He pledged the Foundation’s commitment to supplying medical consumables and collaborating with health service providers to sustain healthcare delivery at the facility.
Mr. Armah urged prison officers to maintain the facility properly, stressing that female inmates could be mothers, wives and sisters whose health and dignity must be protected.
He said the Foundation was particularly interested in improving access to medical equipment, supplies, mental healthcare and reproductive health services at correctional facilities.
He added that proper record-keeping and regular maintenance, including plastering and painting, were also important to ensuring effective healthcare delivery.
Support
Engineer Emmanuel Yaw Okai, a member of the Foundation, also appealed to the government, CSOs, philanthropists and the media to support correctional facilities.
He reiterated the Foundation’s commitment to providing consumables and working with health service providers to sustain the facility.
The Ashanti Regional Commander of Prisons, DDP James B. Mwinyelle, disclosed that the male prison health facility had earlier been refurbished by the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), led by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, during AshantiFest.
He commended the Osagyefo Kpolly Armah Foundation for the intervention, noting that the renovation included an expanded office space for officers and a urinal.
He also praised inmate carpenters and others who contributed to the renovation works.
DDP Mwinyelle urged the media to continue highlighting issues affecting inmates through proper checks and responsible reporting.
Four For Pardon
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, commended the Foundation for supporting government efforts to improve healthcare and rehabilitation for inmates.
He assured inmates that the government remained committed to their welfare, and appealed to members of the public not to abandon relatives serving prison sentences.
He urged families to visit and support their relatives in prison, stressing that rehabilitation required the collective efforts of government, families and society.
Dr. Amoakohene disclosed that four female inmates in Kumasi had been nominated for presidential pardon this year.
He explained that good behaviour was one of the factors considered for presidential pardon, adding that prisons also served as training grounds where inmates acquired skills to enable them to reintegrate into society after their release.
The minister appealed to the public to support the prison medical bank and the welfare of inmates.
He further disclosed that the feeding allocation for inmates had been increased from GH¢1.80 to GH¢5.00.
Dr. Amoakohene urged the media to help protect the dignity of inmates by reporting on their conditions and welfare responsibly.
FROM David Afum, Kumasi