Prison medical staff undergo training in healthcare services

The AIDS Control Society, in collaboration with the Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust, organised a two-day training programme for medial officers and staff of all 14 jails in the state. The aim of the programme was to strengthen healthcare services in prisons by enhancing the capacity of medical personnel in tackling infectious diseases.

Project Director, state AIDS Control Society, Rajeev Kumar said the training was aimed at equipping medical officers, pharmacists and lab technicians with essential knowledge on the screening, treatment and control of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), tuberculosis (TB) and hepatitis.

He said that timely screening and medical care for all inmates were important for the early detection of infections. With prompt treatment, these infections could be effectively managed and cured. “Achieving the ‘95:95:95’ targets in combating HIV/AIDS, TB and STI infections are possible only through comprehensive and uninterrupted screening and healthcare services within prisons,” he added.

He said the ‘95-95-95’ targets were adopted by India and the United Nations with the goal of ending AIDS by 2030. “This initiative focuses on ensuring that 95 per cent of people living with HIV are aware of their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed receive treatment and 95 per cent of those on treatment achieve viral suppression,” said the Project Director.

He said that regular health check-ups were already being conducted in all prisons.