RIGHTS BEHIND BARS A Study of Prison Conditions In Zimbabwe 2018 5.7. Access to health care services In terms of the Harare Remand Prison Report and the Mutare Prison Farm Report, both prisons did not have an independent clinic and or dispensary for treatment. At the Harare Remand Prison inmates were treated from two rooms with no privacy and no furniture which are located on the veranda, whilst at the Mutare Farm Prison inmates were treated from a house with inadequate storage space and equipment that was meant to accommodate one of the prison officials.81 The Whawha Young Offenders Prison also had insufficient storage space;82 However, the Connemara Open Prison had two modern stand-alone clinics reserved for inmates and officers as well as for dependents of the officers and the community.83 Unlike the other prisons, the clinics at Connemara had more space and facilities comprising of a store room, a consultation room and a treatment room,84 and the clinic for inmates had the status of a primary health care centre.85 The conditions and facilities of the aforementioned prisons, save for Connemara, were inadequate, and cannot enable the State to fulfil its obligation to ensure the prevention, treatment and control of diseases. In addition, there were no ‘conditions which would assure medical service and attention to all in the event of sickness as envisaged in articles 12(1) of the ICESCR and 16(1) of the ACHPR. Similarly the conditions and facilities that were obtaining could not guarantee the realisation of everyone’s right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.86 Whilst inmates requiring a Doctor at the Connemara Open Prison were referred to the Gweru General Hospital,87 this prison was better off than the Harare Remand Prison and the Whawha Young Offenders Prison. Patients at Harare Remand Prison were served by one (1) General Practitioner who visits the prisons once a week, a specialist medical doctor sought on a case by case basis and 11 general nurses, with 2 to 3 nurses being available at any given time.88 At Whawha, a Provincial medical doctor visits the prison upon request. The clinic has three (3) nurses, no nurse aides, no physiotherapists, no Mental Health staff, no Social Workers and 4 Rehabilitation Officers respectively.89 It was however worrying to note that despite the rehabilitative nature of the Whawha Young Offenders prison, it had a considerably lower numbers of health professionals that service it. At Bindura Farm Prison, there was only one registered nurse. Primary care was provided, but to a limited extent. There were instances when the supplies were not adequate although they came monthly from Natpharm (National Pharmaceutics) through the prison services. At the time of the visit, the prison had no status for anti- retroviral treatment and inmates were referred after they had been tested. Alternatively, 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 ZACRO and the Forum Harare Remand Prison Visit Report, 6. ZACRO and the Forum Whawha Young Offenders Prison Visit Report, 5. ZACRO and the Forum Connemara Open Prison Visit Report, 4. ZACRO and the Forum Connemara Open Prison Visit Report, 4. ZACRO and the Forum Connemara Open Prison Visit Report, 4. ICESCR article 12(1), ACHPR Article 16(1), DEVAW Article 3(f). ZACRO and the Forum Connemara Open Prison Visit Report, 4. ZACRO and the Forum Harare Remand Prison Visit Report, 6. ZACRO and the Forum Whawha Young Offenders Prison Visit Report, 4. 29