Freetown — Deputy minister of health and sanitation has extended the free health care services to inmates of the Pademba road maximum prison.

Mohamed Daudis Koroma said the reason for extending the free medication to inmates was because of the poor health facilities in the prison, adding, "This will help inmates to get better medication."

"It has always been the dream of my ministry to extend the free healthcare delivery to inmates at the Pademba prison. My recent visit to the prison was to assess the healthcare facilities currently in place there, especially for pregnant women and lactating mothers and see how they will benefit from the free medication," he said.

Koroma revealed that free drugs and other equipment have already been presented to the prison clinic and that he was very pleased with the work done by prison officers. "We think one way to help inmates in the prison is to first address the issue of poor healthcare facility. We want female prisoners to also benefit from the free medication," he noted.