Malawi’s drug crisis has hit the country’s prisons forcing authorities to call for government’s immediate attention to rectify the problem.

CCAP Blantyre Synod prison chaplain Rev Austin Chimesya said there’s an acute shortage of drugs in most prisons but said nobody is speaking up about the crisis.

“The current shortage of drugs in the country’s prisons is critical and pathetic, inmates are unable to access Panado and Aspirin in prisons,” Chimesya told Malawi’s ZBS adding that there are currently about 200 inmates at Chichiri prison failing to receive treatment for the past months.

Both Inspector of Prisons Evance Phiri and Head of Health Services at Malawi Prison Service Dr. Henry Ndindi confirmed the problem. “We’re doing everything possible to procure drugs from central medical stores to be distributed in various prisons,” said Ndindi.