37 more prisoners test positive in Meerut, Gzb
9 March 2018 5:12 PM GMT
Lucknow: Prisons in Uttar Pradesh are hit by the HIV scare. First, 22 prisoners were tested positive in Gorakhpur District Jail, and now 37 more jail inmates--including a woman-- have been found HIV positive in two jails in Meerut and Ghaziabad. The cases came to the light during routine health check-ups.
During health check-up camps in Ghaziabad's famous Dasna Jail, 27 prisoners, including a woman, were found to be affected by the HIV virus. In Chowdhary Charan Singh District Jail in Meerut, ten jail inmates tested HIV Positive during a similar health drive.
Taking cognizance of media reports on 22 HIV Positive cases in Gorakhpur District Jail last month, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had issued a notice to the Yogi Adityanath Government two days ago seeking a detailed report within six weeks on steps taken to curb the deadly disease spreading to other inmates and treatment of affected inmates.
Showing concern, the NHRC has sought to draw the attention of state government on the plight and medical negligence in Uttar Pradesh jails if media reports are true. The NHRC has also directed the State Government to probe how so many prisoners got affected by the HIV virus in jails. Startled by the HIV positive cases in Gorakhpur jail, the Yogi Adityanath government had directed the health department to conduct the blood test on prisoners lodged in different jails across the state to segregate prisoners affected by the HIV virus.
The State government had also activated the UP AIDS Control Society to make available HIV test kits to district medical colleges for carrying out the massive health check-up exercise in all district jails in Uttar Pradesh.
Health check-up camps were organized in about 70 jails including Lucknow, Faizabad, Bareilly, Allabahad, Agra, Varanasi, Kanpur etc. About 256 prisoners tested HIV positive during the state-wide drive. The health department has claimed that baring few new cases, the majority of them were already affected by the HIV positive.
Majority of those who tested positive in Gorakhpur, Meerut and Ghaziabad jails are under-trials facing charges of drug smuggling and pedaling.
The CMO Meerut Ram Kumar claimed that they have already referred affected prisoners to ART Centre which is making arrangements for their treatment in the jail itself.
Earlier, about 75 villagers had tested positive in Unnao district of the state. Majority of them had got treatment from a local quack who used a single syringe without disinfecting it on villagers.
The quack was arrested by the police and Villagers are undergoing treatment at ART Centre in Kanpur.
Next Story
