Around 49 prisoners out of 987 prisoners in Karachi prisons are suffering from HIV/AIDS, according to a recent report released by Sindh AIDS Control Programme (SACP). A team of SACP experts initiated screening of prisoners at Central Jail (Prison), Malir Jail (Prison) and Juvenile Jail (Prison) on 21 December 2010, which remained continued till 21st May 2011. The team found 49 prisoners out of 987 HIV/AIDS infected.
According to the report, Malir Jail was declared as hub of HIV/AIDS patients where 47 cases were detected out of over 700 prisoners, who were tested at the jail. Only one prisoner at Central jail out of 186 had HIV/AIDS. One prisoner at Juvenile jail had HIV/AIDS out of 51 who were tested by the team of SACP.
When contacted, Deputy Programme Manager of SACP, Dr Qamar Abbas told Business Recorder that screening process of prisoners was still continued. They have to test all prisoners in jails in Karachi as they would have to control the disease from spreading. He said that the treatment of detected prisoners was also continued, their team used to visit the jails and meet with prisoners in order to express sympathy with them.
Superintendent Malir Jail Nazir Hussain Shah told Business Recorder that they have made separate arrangements for patients of HIV/AIDS, as other prisoners could remain safe from this fatal disease. He said that most of the prisoners in Malir jail are arrested in minor cases and they are released within a very short time so it is the duty of SACP to make prisons free of HIV/AIDS as patients could get others affected as well. Inspector General (IG) of jail Police, Ghulam Qadir Thebo was contacted for his comments but he was neither available in his office nor attending call on his mobile.
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