645 prisoners in 43 Punjab jails suffering from AIDS

Rawalpindi: A large number of HIV (AIDS) patients have been reported in Rawalpindi’s Central Jail (Adiala Jail), where 148 prisoners have been found infected with AIDS, the highest number in any jail in Punjab province so far.

According to a media report, this situation reveals serious shortcomings of the Prisons Department and the Punjab AIDS Control Program (PACP).

Adiala Jail has been in the news recently, also because former Prime Minister Imran Khan is imprisoned here. However, it should be noted that Imran Khan is kept in isolation and is not allowed to interact with other prisoners.

The jail is currently severely overcrowded, with 4,337 prisoners against the capacity of 1,994 prisoners.

According to the report of the Punjab AIDS Control Program, a total of 645 prisoners in 43 jails of the province are infected with HIV, some of whom are already taking antiretroviral therapy (ART).

The presence of such a large number of infected prisoners poses a serious threat to the health and lives of other prisoners. If immediate measures are not taken, it will be difficult to stop the spread of the virus.

According to medical experts, HIV attacks the body’s immune system and is currently incurable.

A health expert said that once this infection occurs, the body cannot eliminate it. However, there are drugs available that can control HIV and prevent complications. Every infected person should be placed on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

He expressed serious concern that if a large and prominent jail like Adiala is failing to control HIV/AIDS, the situation in other jails may worsen.

Prison patient statistics

The Punjab AIDS Control Program report sheds light on the situation of HIV/AIDS patients in the province's prisons. According to the report, a total of 645 prisoners in 43 jails of Punjab are HIV positive, of which the highest number is in Adiala Jail, where 148 prisoners are infected.

According to official data, 83 prisoners were found to be infected in the District Jail (Camp Jail) of Lahore, followed by 37 in the Central Jail of Faisalabad, while 27 prisoners each in the Central Jail of Lahore (Kot Lakhpat) and the Central Jail of Gujranwala tested positive for HIV.

The total number of HIV positive prisoners in the remaining 38 jails is 323. According to officials, many infected prisoners are facing obstacles in the supply of medicines.

As per the protocol of the Punjab AIDS Control Program, after screening, the prisoner is shifted to the ART center of the respective district, where further tests are conducted to confirm the diagnosis.

The prisoner is then sent back to jail and is provided with medicines by the program for 3 months.

PACP teams usually visit jails every 6 months to screen the prisoners.

The spread of HIV/AIDS in Punjab’s jails, especially Adiala Jail, has raised serious concerns among PACP officials, which is also evident from an official letter in which the PACP chief has immediately mobilized all ART centers established under the program.

According to the letter, all ART centers will visit jails in their respective districts every 15 days to determine the number of HIV-positive prisoners registered there and the number of prisoners who are currently receiving ART treatment.

Dr Samira Ashraf, Project Director PACP, stressed that all centres should ensure that all registered patients of the jail are provided treatment without any interruption. If any deficiency or problem is found during the visit, it should be reported clearly.

Punjab Inspector General (Prisons) Mian Farooq Nazir said that a few years ago, PACP had taken over the responsibility of screening prisoners, which includes HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B and C.

He stated that, as per the programme guidelines, test kits are provided to the medical centres of each jail, where prisoners are examined, and the jail doctors conduct the tests as per these guidelines. However, the Prisons Department is not responsible for screening prisoners at the time of admission or release.