Northern Regional Prisons Command Launches Medicines and Equipment Bank in Tamale
The Northern Regional Command of the Ghana Prisons Service has launched a Medicines and Equipment Bank in Tamale to address shortages of essential medicines, medical consumables and equipment in prison facilities across the Northern, North East and Savannah Regions.
The initiative, launched on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at Radach Lodge in Tamale, forms part of the Service’s Think Prisons 360 Degrees Transformational Agenda, which seeks to improve healthcare delivery and promote the welfare of inmates and prison officers.
The ceremony was chaired by Sagnar-Naa Ambassador Yakubu Abdulai, Paramount Chief of the Sagnarigu Traditional Area. It brought together traditional rulers, government officials, representatives of health institutions, civil society organisations, faith-based organisations and senior officers of the Ghana Prisons Service.
In his welcome address, the Northern Regional Commander of Prisons, Deputy Director of Prisons Obed Kofi Acquaye, described the launch as a significant milestone in the Service’s reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration agenda.
He noted that prison facilities in Tamale, Gambaga, Yendi, Salaga and Damongo had long faced challenges associated with inadequate supplies of medicines and medical equipment, affecting the delivery of quality healthcare to inmates and officers.
Mr. Acquaye said the establishment of the Bank would help protect the health and human rights of inmates, improve the welfare of prison officers and strengthen operational readiness, security and public safety. He assured stakeholders that the facility would be managed with transparency, accountability and professionalism, while appealing for support towards establishing a prison clinic in the Northern Region.
Representatives of the Centre for Social Development Reform, Total Life Enhancement Centre Ghana, the Department of Social Welfare and the Ghana Health Service pledged their continued support for the initiative.
The chairman of the occasion, Sagnar-Naa Ambassador Yakubu Abdulai, commended the Ghana Prisons Service for the intervention, stressing that imprisonment should not deprive inmates of their dignity and basic human rights.
He said the welfare of prisoners must be upheld through decent accommodation, adequate nutrition and access to proper healthcare. While acknowledging the government’s primary responsibility for prisoners’ welfare, he called on individuals, organisations and other stakeholders to support the initiative.
The traditional ruler further observed that political divisions, chieftaincy disputes and conflicts in the Northern, North East and Savannah Regions could result in people finding themselves in prison, making the welfare of inmates a concern for society as a whole.
The Guest of Honour, Lamansha-Naa Alhaji Mohammed Iddrisu, Paramount Chief of the Lamanshagu Traditional Area, also pledged the support of his traditional area and appealed to philanthropists to contribute to the initiative.
In a keynote address delivered on her behalf by the Director of Health and Community Corrections, Mrs. Joana Fofo Tackie-Otoo, the Director-General of Prisons, Mrs. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, explained that the Medicines and Equipment Bank was established to address persistent shortages of medical supplies resulting from the growing inmate population and rising healthcare costs.
She disclosed that the initiative was first launched nationally in Accra on March 26, 2026, to mobilise support from pharmaceutical companies, healthcare institutions, corporate organisations, development partners, faith-based organisations, traditional rulers and individuals.
The support is expected to provide essential medical supplies for inmates, including those living with conditions such as diabetes, hepatitis, skin diseases and cancer.
Under the theme, “Prison Health is Public Health,” the Director-General reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to ensuring transparency, accountability and sustainability in the management of the Bank.
The Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Ali Adolf, represented by the Deputy Director of Administration at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, Mr. Mohammed Shamsudeen Bawa, pledged his commitment to serving as an ambassador for the Think Prisons 360 Degrees initiative.
He emphasised that the Bank was not merely an intervention to improve healthcare for inmates but also an investment in public health, with benefits extending to the wider community. He therefore urged stakeholders to support the initiative to ensure its long-term success.
The ceremony ended with a fundraising session, during which donations were received from officers-in-charge of prison establishments and sister security agencies, among other stakeholders, to support the operations of the Medicines and Equipment Bank.
Source: Northwebonline.com
