NGO offers free sexual health services to Rumphi inmates
Hope for Relief (HFR), a Rumphi-based non-governmental organization, is implementing a project whose chief aim is an attempt to increase access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) services among inmates in the country’s prisons.
HFR programmes manager, Hastings Masida Ziba, told Nyasa Times on Tuesday that, among others, the project, which is being funded by HIVOS of the Netherlands, is expected to reach out to 1000 inmates over the age of 18 by 2020.
According to Ziba, HFR wants to create project ownership and sustainability with stakeholders in providing SRHR.
He said: “To ensure success of the project there will be a number of activities including advocacy and review meetings. There will also be bi-annual interviews with 200 inmates to gather what challenges they would be facing in their quest to access SRHR services. Our goal in this will be to ensure provision of mass screening to inmates.”
He cited support advocacy and review meetings and interviews with 200 inmates at a prison twice a year to access challenges they face in regards to access to SRHR services.
“We will support bi annual provisions of SRHR services to ensure comprehensive provision of mass screening to inmates,” said Ziba.
Rumphi Prison Officer-In-Charge, Lajab Mota, commended HFR for the initiative saying it would save the prison time and resources that are used to take the inmates to the district hospital for treatment.
And, one of Rumphi District Hospital community nurses, Hlupekire Mzumara, heaped praise on HFR for being unselective in the provision of SRHR services.
“We have to assist patients regardless of what they are,” said Mzumara .
HFR also implemented a similar project at Chitipa district hospital last month.
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