A leading pharmaceutical company in the country, Ernest Chemists Limited, last Friday donated assorted medicines to the Ghana Prisons Service at its headquarters in Accra.
The consignment is to help stock the Prisons Service’s drug bank, following an appeal by the Prisons authorities to philanthropists and corporate institutions to support the establishment of medicine banks across its facilities.
The items, which include blood tonics, pain relievers, antibiotics, infusions, anti-inflammatory creams, anti-diabetic and antihypertensive drugs, are intended to support the healthcare needs of inmates and officers of the service.
Presenting the items, the Commercial Manager of Ernest Chemists, Mr Emmanuel Adu, said the gesture formed part of the company’s corporate social responsibility and underscored its belief that good health was a right, not a privilege.
“This is our widow’s mite in response to your request for assistance to establish a medicine bank. On behalf of the board, management and staff of Ernest Chemists Limited, we are pleased to be part of this historic initiative,” he said.
Mr Adu added that the company had, two years ago, supported the Kumasi Central Prisons with medical supplies for the treatment of tropical diseases prevalent in prison facilities.
He noted that although the Prisons Service operated under challenging conditions to reform, rehabilitate and care for inmates, healthcare remained a major concern.
“These medicines, we believe, will help boost immunity, support recovery and improve daily well-being, because a healthy body supports a sound mind, and a sound mind is key to rehabilitation,” he said.
“Health is wealth. We believe that caring for the vulnerable is a shared responsibility. This donation is not just boxes of medicine; it is a message to inmates that they are not forgotten. Society still cares. Ernest Chemists cares,” he added.
Mr Adu commended the Director-General of Prisons, officers and the medical team for their tireless efforts, noting that their work often went unnoticed.
He expressed the hope that the medicines would serve their intended purpose and called for stronger collaboration among government, the private sector and citizens to build a healthier and more humane system.
The Deputy Director of Prisons, DSP Edmond Ashun, who received the items on behalf of the service, commended Ernest Chemists for the gesture and assured that the medicines would be distributed to stock infirmaries and clinics across the country.
He said the donation would significantly improve the well-being of inmates and appealed to philanthropists and public-spirited individuals to emulate the example to support quality healthcare delivery in prisons.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU
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