'We are preparing for possible Meningitis outbreak' - Ghana prisons service

The Meningitis outbreak is most likely to hit all prisons in Ghana, the prisons service has warned. Authorities at the various prisons in Ghana say the poor state of congestion and overcrowding in the prisons could spark a severe outbreak.

So far, prison cells at Brong Ahafo and the Northern regions are being warned to prepare in advance for any form of an outbreak. Speaking to the media on the troubling matter, head of communications of the Prisons Service, Superintendent Vitalis Aiyeh says urgent steps are being put in place to avert or manage any possible outbreak.

“We have containment and isolation block for every prison for that matter anybody who is coming to the prison for the first time is not put in the general prison.

They are contained for a number of days and observed before being asked to join their colleagues in the general prison,” he said. One thousand inmates at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons have been freely registered onto the National Health Insurance Scheme.

This is to help them get easy and quick access to health care while in prison and outside the prison walls. The initiative to register all prisoners was by the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection with support from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).