The Ghana Prisons Service through its Directorate of Health in collaboration with Besstel Foundation UK, has held its 1st Annual Prison Health Care Symposium under the theme "Substance Use and the Criminal Justice System", the role of Prisons in Rehabilitation", on Friday 13th October 2023 at the Prisons Headquarters, in Accra.

This was a scientific gathering that sought to ignite the role of the Prisons Service in bridging the gap in addiction treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery programmes for substance use and better prepare for strategic roles in the reintegration of inmates.

The symposium welcomed consultants from Her Majesty's Prisons ( UK), United Nations Organization on Drugs and Crime, Narcotic Control Commission, Mental Health Authority, Ghana Standards Authority, Ghana Medical Association, Humanity First International, among others.

Present at the symposium were the Director of Prisons in charge of Technical, Dr. Francis Omane-Addo (represented the DGP), other members of the Prisons Administration, the former CEO of the Mental Health Authority of Ghana, Professor Akwasi Osei and the President of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Frank Serebour.

Also present were the CEO of BESSTEL Foundation, UK, Stella Agyemang, Country Director Besstel Foundation, UK,Mr. George Bessa-Simons, President of Ghana Association of Quasi Health Institution, Dr. K. K. Azeez, Chairman of Humanity First Ghana, Alhaji Umar Faruk Ali Gbonta, and other officers of the Prisons Service.

Sompaonline.com/Nana Yaw Boamah