Nearly 560 inmates at the Bordelais Correctional Facility now have greater access to medical care behind prison walls, following the official opening of a dedicated medical unit providing primary care, emergency response, chronic disease management and mental health support.
The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition will assume operational and administrative responsibility for the unit, a move officials say will improve healthcare delivery at the prison while reducing the burden on public hospitals.
Health Minister Moses Jn Baptiste said the size of the prison population makes access to adequate medical care at Bordelais a public health necessity.
“With close to 560 residents, in addition to staff, we can safely describe this facility as a small village or community,” Jn Baptiste said as the unit was opened last week.
“So ensuring the availability of medical services here at the Bordelais Correctional Facility is not optional. It is a public health imperative. It is a legal imperative. It is an ethical imperative.”
Jn Baptiste noted that inmates face many of the same health challenges as the wider population, including chronic illnesses, mental health conditions and infectious diseases. He said ensuring access to treatment protects human rights, reduces costs to the wider health system and strengthens national health security.
Director of Corrections Kerwin Albert said providing timely professional healthcare in a correctional environment had been one of the facility’s longstanding challenges.
“For years, providing timely professional medical care in a correctional setting has been one of our greatest challenges,” Albert said.
He said placing the unit under the Ministry of Health would allow inmates to receive treatment from qualified health professionals using systems aligned with national health policies.
“This partnership strengthens accountability, improves clinical outcomes, and reduces the burden on our public hospitals,” Albert said.
He added that the initiative recognises healthcare as a right and acknowledges the role that health plays in rehabilitation.
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre also pointed to wider investments at Bordelais, saying his administration had worked to improve conditions at the correctional facility while acknowledging that further work remains.
“We’ve created much better conditions for them to work, but it’s not perfect. There is work to do,” Pierre said.
The Prime Minister said the government’s commitment to putting people first extends to all Saint Lucians, including those incarcerated at Bordelais.
