Free health mobile services for inmates

Post Correspondent
SCORES of Mutare Farm Prison inmates thronged the New Start Centre, Population Services International and Diocese of Mutare Community Care Programme pitched tents for free voluntary mobile testing and counselling, free circumcision services, viral load tests and CD4 count checks this Wednesday.

These free services from the various stakeholders were offered at Mutare Farm Prison as the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) commemorated their Prison Open Day.

The event ran under the theme: ‘Correctional excellence – Our commitment’.

Sponsoring the event was The Zimbabwe National Network of People living with HIV (ZNNP+). Officer Commanding Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services in Manicaland, Assistant Commissioner Kenny Ndebele, said the day was celebrated annually as a way of trying to reduce the misinterpretations and rumours about life in prison by letting the inmates mix and mingle with the public.

“This day serves to further demystify life in prison by bringing the community to prison and letting them mix and mingle with the prisoners. By so doing, we reduce misconception about life,” said Asst Comm Ndebele.

ZNNP+ team leader, Mr Lloyd Dembure, said there was a gap in prisons as prisoners were living with what he termed as ‘double stigma’. He said at most times inmates living with the HIV virus were the ones heavily affected by stigmatisation as they have to endure and suffer stigma from the community because of their incarceration and stigma from fellow inmates and the community because of living with the virus.

“It is our duty as the community and fellow inmates to embrace our friends who are incarcerated and also living with the HIV virus. Once we accept them, they will be able to cope with the virus. This is the reason why we have created support groups in prisons. We need to impact behavioral change and not only to inmates, but also to correctional officers who look after them,” said Dembure.

In an interview, the Rehabilitation Officer, Principal Correctional Officer Thandani Ndlovu, said their core mandate was incarceration, rehabilitation and integration. Also gracing the occasion was National Aids Council Auditing Director, Mr Everesto Nyamutswa and delegates from Gogo Olive, DOMCCAP, Old Mutual, PSI, Africa Aid, New Start Centre and EMRAS.