Now Reading: 38 inmates test HIV positive at Guwahati Central Jail
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38 inmates test HIV positive at Guwahati Central Jail
At least 38 inmates at Guwahati Central Jail have tested positive for HIV during routine health checks, officials said on Tuesday. The cases include 33 men and five women. Many of them…
At least 38 inmates at Guwahati Central Jail have tested positive for HIV during routine health checks, officials said on Tuesday. The cases include 33 men and five women. Many of them have a history of drug addiction, but officials said there is no evidence the infections were acquired inside the jail.
The infections were detected gradually through screening conducted when prisoners enter judicial custody for HIV, hepatitis and other conditions. Guwahati Central Jail holds about 1,802 prisoners, including 281 facing charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Members of the Assam State AIDS Control Society are stationed at the prison and assist with testing and care. Authorities said the affected inmates are under medical supervision, and further screening is ongoing as part of the jail's regular health programme.
Indian Opinion Analysis
India's prison system has long struggled with poor health infrastructure and overcrowding. A 2022 National Human Rights Commission report noted that only 18% of jails have full-time doctors, and infectious disease screening upon admission is mandatory under the Model Prison Manual 2016. The 38 positive cases at Guwahati Central Jail, with many inmates having a drug history, reflect a pattern seen in other states where prisons become sites where undiagnosed infections are first detected rather than treated. The Assam State AIDS Control Society, which works inside the prison, is the body responsible for ongoing monitoring and antiretroviral therapy. The key measure to watch is whether the infection rate among new entrants remains stable or rises over the next quarterly screening cycle.
Source: timesnownews.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
