Zanzibar Prison, Zanzibar.

Mandela Rule 27

"All prisons shall ensure prompt access to medical attention in urgent cases. Prisoners who require specialized treatment or surgery shall be transferred to specialized institutions or to civil hospitals. Where a prison service has its own hospital facilities, they shall be adequately staffed and equipped to provide prisoners referred to them with appropriate treatment and care. 2. Clinical decisions may only be taken by the responsible health-care professionals and may not be overruled or ignored by non-medical prison staff."

Globally, health services in prisons are often poorly staffed, equipped and budgeted. An assessment conducted in twelve prisons from five zones in Tanzania in 2012, found that about 75% of the assessed prison facilities did not have enough adequately trained medical personnel and most of these facilities were poorly equipped. An illustration of the limited funding for prison health services can be seen in the below table which shows the prison budget for medical equipment for the period 2010 - 2012.

ITEM

ACTUAL BUDGET

APPROVED BUDGET

Medical Equipment: 2010-2011

197,492,000

 15,000,000

 

                                2011- 2012

269,292,000

NIL

                                2012 - 2013

269,292,000

11,000,000

Although Tanzania Prison Services and the Zanzibar Correctional Facilities have access to Ministries of Health resources for both their staff and inmates, the prison clinics are still inadequately staffed and equipped. It is against this background that UNODC, through its project for HIV and AIDS Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support in Prison Settings in Sub-Saharan Africa, procured laboratory equipment (microscopes, hemoglobin machines, urine and hematology analyzers) to support Tanzania Prisons Service and Zanzibar Correctional Facilities in ensuring the effective management of disease conditions for inmates, prison staff and their families that is based on correct diagnosis which ultimately ensures a prison population that is healthy.

UNODC's support to Tanzania Prisons Service and Zanzibar Correctional Facilities is ensuring that according to Mandela Rule 27 is upheld.