The social distancing compliance against the spread of the Coronavirus disease has not been applicable at the cells of the Sunyani Central Prison (SCP) because of the overcrowding population of the inmates.

Deputy Superintendent of Prisons (DSP) Johann Nii Narh Nartey, the Bono Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Prison Service (GPS) told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Sunyani.

DSP Nartey said the male cells which were supposed to accommodate about 450 inmates were now housing 880 inmates, but the situation at the female cells was totally different as the inmate population was less than 20.

He said apart from the social distancing challenge, the authority of the SCP with the support of the local COVID -19 Management Team were doing all things possible to ensure compliance with safety protocols among the inmates and the officers to prevent spread and infection at the place.

DSP Nartey said each inmate had been provided with three washable nose masks and there was the immediate replacement of either a misplaced or destroyed nose mask to protect inmates from danger.

He said the prison cells had been disinfected by Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a sanitation company, and assured the disinfection would continue periodically.

DSP Nartey said temperatures of new inmates were taken before entry and were as well quarantined at a quarantine cell for two weeks under the supervision of health personnel.

But, he added the quarantine cell too had an isolation block where those who fell sick were kept for treatment.

He said skin disease was common among the inmates and appealed to drug manufacturing companies and pharmaceutical wholesaling and retailing shops to donate drugs to the Service to save the lives of some inmates.

DSP Nartey appealed to philanthropists and benevolent organizations to help the SCP with tissues, hand gloves, soaps, sanitizers, and detergents for the prevention of the COVID-19.