We’re building robust health systems in prisons against Covid-19 outbreaks – Bawumia

Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia has touted government’s efforts to improve healthcare provision in prisons across the country.

He said this move is to safeguard the inmates against the outbreak of coronavirus which is already widespread in the country.

Apart from sending some forty medical personnel to deliver healthcare in the prisons, government says amnesty has been granted some 1089 inmates as part of broad policy.

The Vice President said this at the graduation ceremony of some 150 Cadet Officers at the Prison Officers Training school in Accra, Friday.

“Especially in this era of Covid-19, it is well understood that the disease spreads quickly in enclosed places like prisons which are commonly epicentres for infectious diseases”.

“This is of great concern to the government particularly where there is overcrowding,” he said.

Th deliberately executed to improve safety and quality healthcare in the prisons.

He mentioned that government has also supplied Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), thermometer guns, and sanitary materials to various prisons in the same regard.

Since the outbreak of coronavirus in the country there have been few cases recorded in some prisons who were promptly isolated.

Meanwhile, some experts have said prisoners have a high risk of Covid-19 infections hence the need to check overcrowding in the cells to prevent the spread of the virus.

Currently, Ghana has recorded a total of 43,841 coronavirus cases and 270 deaths.