BY Nadia Ntiamoah
President John Dramani Mahama has pledged to support the construction of a hospital facility for inmates at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison in the Eastern Region, responding to longstanding concerns about access to healthcare within the prison system.
The assurance was given on April 25, 2026, during a visit to the facility where the President joined the Men’s Ministry of the Assemblies of God Church Ghana for a fellowship service with inmates. The event combined worship, encouragement, and direct engagement with prison authorities and inmates.
Delivering a sermon at the service, Rev. Benjamin Tettey of the Ringway Gospel Centre urged inmates not to lose hope but to embrace repentance and transformation, stressing faith as a pathway to renewal.
In her address, the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, commended government efforts to improve inmate welfare, particularly the increase in the daily feeding rate from GH¢1.80 to GH¢5.00.
However, she highlighted critical healthcare challenges, noting the high cost of treatment and the logistical burden of transferring inmates to external hospitals.
Responding directly, President Mahama stated that he would work with the foundation of his wife, Lordina Mahama, to explore the construction of hospital facilities within the prison system to address these gaps.
Beyond healthcare, the President announced broader reforms, including plans to fast-track parole processes.
He disclosed that at least 1,000 inmates are expected to be released in July 2026 under an amnesty programme aimed at reducing congestion.
He also pledged improvements to recreational infrastructure, including the provision of an astroturf pitch and a basketball court to support inmate wellbeing.
During the visit, the President toured ongoing projects within the prison, including a 5,000-layer poultry facility and an 800-capacity remand prison designed to ease overcrowding.
He assured authorities of government’s commitment to completing these projects.
Some inmates who interacted with the President expressed appreciation for his visit—his second to the facility—and appealed for further support, including the inclusion of prison education in national scholarship schemes and feeding programmes.
The President and his delegation also donated assorted food items to support inmates’ welfare, including 250 bags of rice, 50 bags of maize, 50 bags of gari, 50 bags of sugar, 30 gallons of cooking oil, 50 cartons of tomato paste, 50 cartons of spaghetti, and 50 boxes of sardines.
