A special medical clinic program was launched across 24 prison hospitals in Sri Lanka yesterday (12).
The initiative, which aims to provide medical services to prison officers, inmates, and their families, will run island-wide until 16th August.
The opening ceremony was held at the Welikada Prison Research and Training Centre, under the patronage of Minister of Health Nalinda Jayatissa.
Addressing the event, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa emphasized that health care for incarcerated individuals is not a privilege but a fundamental right.
He noted that overcrowding in prisons contributes to the spread of communicable diseases, which in turn leads to mental stress and harsh living conditions for inmates.
The Minister stated that urgent steps are being taken to deploy essential medical staff to prison hospitals and to establish emergency treatment units.
He added that plans are also underway to address issues in female wards within prison hospitals.
The Ministry of Health has taken responsibility for ensuring quality health care for both prison officers and inmates. The newly launched medical clinic program aims to identify and treat chronic NCDs, which have become one of the country’s most pressing health challenges.
Currently, around 6,000 prison officers serve under the Department of Prisons, and approximately 33,500 inmates are held across 36 established prisons. The program’s goal is to ensure the physical and mental well-being of both groups. (Newswire)
