23 inmates tested HIV positive

LAHORE - Out of 1,170 total prisoners of the Citys two jails screened by the Jinnah Hospitals Microbiology Department, 169 inmates were tested positive suffering from Hepatitis-C, 64 patients of Hepatitis-B while 23 were suffering from HIV indicating unhygienic conditions in both the jails. Interestingly, four foreigner female prisoners were suffering from AIDs. A member of the doctors team said that during visit of the jails, they found unhygienic conditions giving birth to various diseases. They further said that impure drinking water was one of the major reasons of hepatitis diseases in the jails. The Microbiology Department of Mayo Hospital had started blood screening of Camp Jail and Central Jail prisoners on the directions of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Punjab Secretary Health Anwaar Ahmed Khan is monitoring the task. A four-member team of doctors under the supervision of Prof Dr Tayyaba Niazi, Head of the Microbiology Department, visited both the jails for blood screening of the prisoners. The said team took blood samples of around 60 to 70 patients daily. Medical Superintendent Mayo Hospital Dr Zahid Pervez said that so far blood samples of 1,170 prisoners had been screened. He said according to a rough estimate around 10,000 prisoners were present in both the jails. The blood samples were being examined in the hospitals laboratory, further said, adding that a comprehensive data of the screened patients was being prepared by the experts. Dr Zahid said that all the blood samples examined by the doctors were analysed by senior doctors according to which 13 per cent prisoners were suffering from Hepatitis C, 5 per cent were patients of Hepatitis B while 1.5 per cent patients were suffering from HIV. Dr Zahid Pervez further said the Microbiology Department would complete the task of blood screening within a couple of weeks. It is worth mentioning that during his visit to Kot Lakhpat Jail, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had ordered the secretary health for conducting blood screening of the prisoners.