Prison opens without full healthcare for inmates

The $132.8 million prison at Ngawha in Northland opens today but the region's health board, the Ministry of Health and the Department of Corrections are still working to provide health services for prisoners.

The first inmates for the Northland Region Corrections facility at Ngawha, east of Kaikohe, are expected late next month.

The prison will eventually cater for 450 inmates with 68 remand prisoners and 15 youth beds.

Several district health boards have written to the Minister of Health and the Ministry of Health to raise potential funding problems resulting from increased demand on forensic and general health in hospital services.

Northland Health's service development and funding general manager Kim Tito said the prison would place significant growth pressure on forensic mental health services.

Northland Health, the Ministry of Health and the Department of Corrections are developing a memorandum of understanding to sort out the health issues.

Health services will be available inside the prison and the Department of Corrections has advertised for nursing staff to run a medical clinic there.

- NZPA