A group photograph of some officers and stakeholders. INSET: Patience Baffoe-Bonnie delivering her address
The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mrs. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, has appealed to corporate organisations, pharmaceutical companies, development partners and the general public to support a newly introduced Medicines and Equipment Bank Initiative to address persistent shortages of medicines and healthcare supplies in prisons across the country.
According to her, inadequate medical supplies, rising inmate population, communicable diseases and the increasing cost of healthcare have placed enormous pressure on the prison healthcare system, making it difficult to provide quality medical care for inmates.
Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie made the appeal during the Ashanti Regional launch of the Ghana Prisons Service’s Medicines and Equipment Bank Initiative and stakeholder fundraising programme in Kumasi.
She disclosed that the cost of treating inmates with specialised medical conditions extends beyond the provision of medicines, explaining that the Service must deploy six prison officers daily to guard a single inmate receiving treatment at a referral hospital.
She noted that the situation places an additional burden on the already stretched manpower of the Service.
The Director-General therefore called for the establishment of a purpose-built prison hospital in the Ashanti Region to provide secure and specialised healthcare for inmates while reducing public concerns over prisoners receiving treatment in public hospitals.
She explained that the Medicines and Equipment Bank Initiative, launched nationally in Accra on March 26, 2026, is designed to mobilise medicines, medical consumables and healthcare equipment from pharmaceutical companies, health institutions, corporate organisations, faith-based bodies, development partners and individuals for distribution to prison facilities.
Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie indicated that prison facilities in the Ashanti Region would be given priority in the distribution of medicines before surplus supplies are sent to other regions.
She said the Service also intends to establish a database of organisations and individuals willing to support inmates with rare medical conditions, to facilitate quick access to specialised treatment whenever the need arises.
Describing prison health as a public health issue, she stressed that every inmate would eventually return to society, making quality healthcare in prisons essential to protecting the health of the general public.
She assured stakeholders that the initiative would be managed with transparency and accountability through proper documentation, monitoring and annual reports on all donations received and utilised.
Mrs. Baffoe-Bonnie further revealed that the Service has introduced the Director-General’s Kitchen Support Project under which every prison now operates either a farm, fish pond or livestock project to supplement inmate feeding following the increase in the daily feeding grant from GH¢1.80 to GH¢5.00.
She also announced that the Ghana Prisons Service would soon officially launch its own television station after successfully conducting trial broadcasts on its Facebook platforms to showcase activities across the various regional commands.
The Director-General further appealed to Ghanaians to support the newly introduced Bispets Fund by contributing GH¢1.00 every month, explaining that five million contributors would generate GH¢5 million monthly to support the Service’s strategic programmes.
Earlier, the Ashanti Regional Prisons Commander, Deputy Director of Prisons James B. Mwinyelle, said prison health remains a critical public health issue that affects inmates, prison officers and surrounding communities.
He explained that the Medicines and Equipment Bank Initiative seeks to establish a sustainable system for mobilising, storing and distributing essential medicines and medical supplies to prison facilities nationwide.
According to him, many prisons continue to face serious challenges, including inadequate medical supplies, overcrowding and limited access to healthcare services, creating conditions for the rapid spread of communicable diseases.
Mr. Mwinyelle stressed that access to healthcare is a fundamental human right and an integral part of the Ghana Prisons Service’s “Think Prisons 360 Degrees” agenda.
He described the initiative as a lifeline for inmates and commended institutions including Kumasi South Hospital, the Regional Health Directorate, Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Tafo Government Hospital, We Charity Foundation, Mount Zion Hospital, Powerhouse Hospital and Asuofua Polyclinic for supporting prison healthcare over the years.
He, however, appealed to corporate organisations, philanthropists, healthcare providers, faith-based organisations and the public to support the initiative through donations of medicines, medical equipment, technical expertise and financial resources to improve healthcare delivery, promote rehabilitation and enhance public safety.
FROM David Afum, Kumasi