Some eighty prisoners of jails in Karachi have been tested HIV/AIDS positive in special screening campaign launched by Sindh Aids Control programme (SACP), learned Business Recorder on Wednesday. SACP had started screening of prisoners following to the directives of Sindh High Court (SHC). According to total number, 80 prisoners have been identified as HIV/AIDS patients out of total about 1900 persons whom HIV/Aids tests were carried out by the said institution.
Health experts termed the aforementioned statistics alarming, saying government should pay special attention towards this appalling issue so as to salvage the other prisoners from this chronic disease. The team of experts of SACP has initiated screening of prisons of Karachi including Central Jail (Prison), Malir Jail (Prison) and Juvenile Jail (Prison) from 21st December 2010, which has been carried out for 11 months, sources informed.
The report available to Business Recorder suggested that HIV/Aids have been proved fatal for Karachi Central Jail and Malir Jail as 20 more cases have been detected in just short span of one month. The report issued by SECP prior in May, revealed that out of 49 patients, Karachi Central Prison had only one HIV/Aids patient. Malir Jail has been proved the hub of HIV/AIDS patients where 47 cases have been detected out of more than 700 prisoners who were tested at the jail during the period of 11 months.
Besides, one prisoner of Juvenile jail has also been detected as HIV/AIDS positive out of 51 who were tested by SAC team. When contacted, Deputy Programme Manager of SACP Dr Qamar Abbas told Business Recorder that screening process of prisoners is being underway; we have to test all prisoners of all jails of Karachi so as to take proactive measure for saving other prisoners.
He said that treatment of detected prisoners is also being carried out. Official at Malir Jail Nazir Hussain Shah said that they have made separate arrangements for of HIV/AIDS patients. He said that most of prisoners of Malir jail have been inducted in minor cases and they left the jail within the very short period so it is duty of SACP to follow HIV/AIDS. Reliable sources of Prison department said that the environment of Sindh's prisons is very unhygienic and degraded. SACP could find more HIV/AIDS patients if it continue to conduct blood screening of the rest of the prisoners.
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