The Rotary Club of Obuasi, in partnership with Medical Doctors and Engineers without Borders and the Brown University Club, has embarked on a medical outreach project for inmates of the Obuasi local Prisons.
The exercise brought together doctors and other health practitioners who screened over 300 inmates and officers of the Obuasi local prisons.
They presented drugs and a table top fridge to the inmates to enable them to store their drugs and further screened for hypertension, tuberculosis, diabetes, malaria, hepatitis B and other ailments.
The inmates were also supported with water and sanitation needs, with the construction of mechanised boreholes to ensure continuous supply of clean water for the inmates.
Delphine Gbogblorvor, the President-elect of the Rotary Club of Obuasi, stated the club has recognised the health of prison inmates as an area, which needs support because of the poor living conditions in the prisons.
She disclosed that the goal of the project was to conduct medical screening for the inmates, create awareness on prison hygiene and supply the infirmary with drugs, in line with Rotary International area of focus which are Disease Prevention, Treatment and Sanitation.
According to her, the inmates were at risk of contracting and spreading various ailments, hence the need to support them with logistics.
She emphasised the need to prioritise the health needs of inmates at the prisons since they are being prepared to be integrated into the larger society.
According to the president-elect, there was the need to recognise that inmates are not outcasts, and would definitely be integrated into the society at a point hence screening for their health status was important in making sure that they are in good conditions before coming out after serving their sentences.
Miss Gborgblovor further assured the prison of the Club’s commitment of support towards improving the living conditions of inmates as the 3-year partnership, which started in 2023, is expected to be rolled out in the next two years with support from the Doctors and Engineers Without Borders, Brown University.
CSP Esther Ako Nunoo, Officer in Charge of Obuasi local prisons, on behalf of the Ghana Prisons Service and the inmates expressed her appreciation to the Doctors and Engineers without Borders, Brown University Club, Rotary Clubs of Obuasi and Ghana Health Service for their timely support.
She called for more support towards improving the conditions at the prisons and also charged the officers to continue discharging their duties as mandated by their ethics to support the prisons service.
