Management of the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons in the Eastern Region has appealed to the government for financial support to clear mounting debts owed to drug suppliers and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
According to authorities, the facility currently owes GH₵506,000 in NHIS claims and an additional GH₵200,000 to drug suppliers for medication provided to inmates. Due to the financial strain, some officers have had to rely on personal funds to address inmates’ medical needs.
This dire situation was revealed by the Eastern Regional Prisons Commander, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Patrick Thomas Seidu, during a visit by the Human Rights Committee of Parliament to the facility on Monday, May 19.
“As of the last audit, we are owing in excess of GH₵200,000 for drugs that were supplied to inmates without payment. We also have problems with the Auditor-General; they are also writing that we should let it go and write to the Ministry of Finance and Parliament to let them know, because who pays for that?” he said.
Beyond the financial crisis, DDP Seidu also highlighted a critical legal challenge facing inmates: the lack of access to legal aid for those wishing to appeal their sentences. He described the absence of such support as a serious human rights gap in the justice system.
“We do not have any legal aid in Nsawam. If in Accra there are few, how many can you ask to come here and handle certain cases? So that alone is even a challenge. They are here, but they cannot appeal. They want to, but they can’t because the avenues are not there. We have become their relatives and family, so any challenge they face is directed to us,” he explained.
Responding to the concerns, Ranking Member of the Human Rights Committee, James Agalga, described the situation as regrettable and called on the government to act swiftly in clearing the medical debts. He stressed that preserving the rights and dignity of inmates includes access to healthcare.
“The idea of bringing people here is to reform them so that when they return, they can be better people in society. But if they are taken here for incarceration, and we are not proactive in extending health services to them, then it is unfortunate. So it is an area we need to pay particular attention to,” Agalga stated.
On the issue of poor nutrition, Agalga disclosed that the Finance Minister is expected to review the current GH₵1.80 daily feeding grant per inmate during the upcoming mid-year budget review.