November 4, 2011 (RUMBEK) - The governor of Lakes state Chol Tong Mayay and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) officially opened a new health care building for inmates at Rumbek Central Prison on Thursday.

The medical director of Rumbek central prison services, Captain Wecnyin Domkoc Malual, told the press that the new centre will provide those being detained with much better access to primary health care services.

Since independence from Anglo-Egyptian rule in 1956 the capacity of the prison has increased from a maximum of 200 to 1,000 Domkoc said.

“We are extending this primary health care unit to be referral hospital for inmate only, comprise of all counties of Lakes state,” he said, noting that power supplies remained a problem.

The medical director said that the health care facility still needed an ultrasound machine, computer and an ambulance for transporting patients on referral.

However, the UNMISS correctional advisor, Enock G. Mogaka, expressed confidence that the health centre would add "great value" to the prison service.

The prison’s primary health care unit has an admission ward for both men and women. The work was supported by state government, UNMISS and local NGOs in Rumbek.

This is the first primary health care unit to be open in Rumbek since South Sudan became independent on 9 July as part of a 2005 peace deal with north Sudan.

(ST)