<<Print>>

OVER 714inmates of the Koforidua prisons have been battling a deadly outbreak of chicken pox and tuberculosis diseases with some inmates at the point of death and the health of others under serious threat. The highly contagious chicken pox and tuberculosis disease are said to be spreading rapidly among the inmates in a miserable environment of very limited medical facilities at the prisons to control the outbreak of the diseases. This came to light when the Eastern Regional Minister,Julius Dabrah,accompanied by his deputy minister,Mavis Ama Frimpong and their entourage visited the facility as part of a familiarization visit to the security services in the regional capital,Koforidua. The inmates led by their spokesperson,Ohene Agyekum,appealed to the regional minister to urgently come to their aid to help control the diseases to prevent their spread to other inmates who have not yet been infected. He also called for decongestion of the prisons, adding that the cells are overcrowded to the extent that,cells that are supposed to accommodate 15 inmates now have 50 to 60 inmates. The inmates appealed to government to improve the water situation at the prisons to help ensure personal hygiene. The Eastern regional minister in response said emergency meeting will be arranged with the Ghana Health Service to provide urgent medical service to the inmates to control the outbreak. He said the government will continue to improve facilities and needed logistics at the Prisons to help fulfill the mandate of being a correctional and reforming home for convicts. The Minister and his entourage earlier visited the Ghana Immigration Service,Customs Exercise and Preventive Service,Ghana Police Service and the 1st Infantry Battalion within the Ghana Armed Forces. He urged the security agencies to ensure high discipline and professionalism in their endeavours to boost public confidence. Mr. Debrah stated that the government will not relent on its efforts in providing the needed logistics and improved working conditions of the security agencies to enable them discharge their duties meticulously. Office and staff accommodation, lack of operational vehicles were identified to be major problems facing the security agencies in the region.