63 prisoners test positive for HIV

Sindh AIDS Control Programme (SACP) has successfully screened 6,372 prisoners detained in various jails of the province. Out of these 63 prisoners have been tested HIV positive in province-wide screening of inmates.

SACP, provincial program manager, Dr Mohammad Younis Chachar talking to PPI said that SACP administration had launched a province-wide screening of jails inmates about a year ago and during this drive 6,372 prisoners were successfully screened. He added that 63 prisoners have been tested HIV positive. He said that immediate treatment of these inmates is under way.

He informed that SACP management in coordination with authorities concerned of Sindh jails had screened the inmates across the province. He said 612 prisoners had been screened in Nara Jail Hyderabad, 2,000 in Central Prison Hyderabad, 35 in Women Jail Hyderabad, 68 in Juvenile Jail Hyderabad, 177 in Juvenile Jail Karachi, 33 in Women Jail Karachi, 500 in Central Prison Karachi, 1000 in Malir Prison Karachi, 548 in Central Jail Shikarpur, 51 in Women Jail Larkana, 17 in Darul Aman Larkana, 774 in Central Jail Larkana, while 320 people in Police Training Center and 237 staff members of these jails were also tested.

According to the results, 63 prisoners are tested HIV out of which 42 belong to Malir Prison Karachi, 10 to Central Prison Karachi, six to Central Prison Hyderabad, two to Juvenile Jail Karachi and to from NARA Jail Hyderabad.

Younis told PPI that 14 jails have been covered during this drive; however, province-wide screening of Sindh jail inmates is in process.  He said immediate treatment of these HIV patients has already been started.