Windhoek
High blood pressure, treatment for HIV/Aids and dental diseases were among the top ten reasons inmates visited the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) clinics during 2013 and 2014.
In total, over 11 000 visits to clinics by inmates were recorded during the period under review.
Other reasons inmates visited the clinics were for skin diseases, respiratory tract infections, eye and mental conditions, and asthma spasms.
This information was revealed in the Namibian Correctional Service Health Policy, which was launched this week by Safety and Security Deputy Minister Daniel Kashikola.
The policy report states that the citation of hypertension as the most prevalent reason for visits to clinics in correctional facilities in 2013 and 2014 is consistent with national data.
It further states that although screening is done for inmates on admission, periodic screening during the stay of the inmate is not regular.
The overall prevalence of hypertension among men and women respondents aged 35-64 years, in Namibia’s Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) of 2013, was 44.5 percent and 44.1 percent respectively.
The report also states that prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in correctional facilities is often higher than in the general community.
“For example, the average syphilis prevalence rate in Namibian correctional facilities is estimated at 2.6 percent. Keetmanshoop correctional facility recorded the highest prevalence rate of 16.7 percent, followed by Walvis Bay at 10.9 percent. These figures are considerably higher than the national average prevalence among women of 1.9 percent in 2012,” the report states.
Speaking at the launch of the health policy, Commissioner-General Raphael Tuhafeni Hamunyela said the policy is one of those strategies which provides tailored health implementation guidelines for both inmates and staff, taking into consideration the correctional settings and socio-demographics of inmates. It also considers their health care needs and health concerns.
Hangula said the inmate population is largely young, overwhelmingly male and has a very high turnover – meaning there is a high frequency of admissions and releases.
Hangula said about 60 percent of inmates are under 30 years old. He added that inmates have relatively high incidence of mental health problems, in particular neurotic disorders such as anxiety or depression.
He explained that imprisonment restricts access to family networks, informal carers and over-the-counter medication. He added that the corrections environment can sometimes be overcrowded and violent. Inmates suffer emotional deprivation and may develop mental health problems while incarcerated.
Hangula indicated that NCS has since last year reached milestones in recruiting healthcare personnel.
“For the first time in history, we managed to recruit four doctors. We have 39 nurses assigned to different correctional facilities countrywide and ten HIV/Aids counsellors.”
Hangula said NCS has the legal mandate to provide safe and humane custody, render care to inmates as well as safe working conditions for its staff. He said they recognize the importance of addressing health service delivery in correctional facilities “and the implications that are associated with failing to address health issues on the health outcomes for inmates, staff and society at large”.
“The link between health in correctional settings and public health is inevitable and real, as diseases acquired in the general community find passage into correctional facilities and vice-versa.”