Nsawam Prison battles GH₵700k medical debt

The Nsawam Medium Security Prison faces over GH₵700,000 in unpaid medical bills. There is also a lack of legal aid for inmates. This situation prompted an urgent appeal to the government during a visit by Parliament’s Human Rights Committee.

Prison authorities reported that they owe more than GH₵700,000. This includes GH₵506,000 owed to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and GH₵200,000 to pharmaceutical suppliers. Due to this financial strain, some prison officers pay for inmate medications out of their own pockets.

Deputy Director of Prisons Patrick Thomas Seidu shared these concerns during the committee's visit on May 19. He stated that they owe over GH₵200,000 for drugs supplied without payment. The Auditor-General has flagged this issue and suggested escalating it to the Ministry of Finance and Parliament. However, he questioned who would cover these costs since they lack a budget.

DDP Seidu also highlighted another serious issue: many inmates do not have access to legal aid. This prevents them from challenging their convictions or sentences effectively. He called this a major flaw in the justice system, leaving vulnerable individuals with few options.

The visit was led by James Agalga, Ranking Member of the Human Rights Committee. He expressed concern about the prison's struggles and urged immediate government action. “This is a regrettable state of affairs,” Agalga said. He emphasized that healthcare is a basic right for all prisoners.

He criticized denying inmates access to healthcare due to unpaid bills as unacceptable. Additionally, he pointed out poor nutrition in prisons. The current daily feeding grant per inmate is only GH₵1.80, which is insufficient.

Agalga mentioned that the Finance Minister should review this amount soon during the mid-year budget review. With health and justice at stake, both prison authorities and lawmakers are calling for swift action to protect inmates' rights and dignity.