Nearly 560 inmates at the Bordelais Correctional Facility in Saint Lucia will now have improved access to healthcare following the opening of a dedicated medical unit at the prison.
The new facility will provide a range of services, including primary healthcare, emergency treatment, chronic disease management and mental health support.
The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition will take responsibility for the unit’s operations and administration. Officials say the arrangement is expected to improve the quality and availability of healthcare for inmates while reducing pressure on the country’s public hospitals.
Health Minister Moses Baptiste said the size of the population at Bordelais makes having adequate medical services on site essential.
He described access to healthcare at the correctional facility as a public health, legal and ethical necessity.
According to the minister, inmates experience many of the same health issues affecting the wider population, including chronic diseases, infectious illnesses and mental health conditions.
Providing appropriate treatment, he said, not only protects the rights of inmates but can also lower costs across the healthcare system and strengthen national health security.
Director of Corrections Kerwin Albert said access to timely and professional medical treatment has been a longstanding challenge at the institution.
Albert said placing the medical unit under the Ministry of Health will give inmates access to qualified healthcare professionals and ensure treatment is delivered in line with national health policies.
