Faridkot jail inmates vulnerable to Hepatitis C, AIDS: Health Dept

Faridkot, January 21

Inmates at Faridkot Central Jail are vulnerable to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Hepatitis C and drug addiction, mentions the recent study of the Health Department.

A total of 908 inmates out of 2,941, around 30 per cent, tested positive for Hepatitis C virus (HCV). In the first phase, the Health Department has started treatment of 242 inmates having higher load of virus.

Maninder Pal Singh, Civil Surgeon, Faridkot, said, “A total of 368 HCV inmates require treatment due to high viral load. The viral load of 504 inmates is on a lower side.” Viral load refers to the amount of virus present in the bloodstream.

People who inject drugs (PWID) and prisoners are at a greater risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the HCV.

The prevalence of drug addiction has also been noted in the Faridkot jail. More than 45 per cent of inmates in this prison tested positive for drugs in a drug screening drive held last year.

Out of 2,333 inmates, 1,064, including 155 women prisoners, had failed the dope test conducted by the Health Department. Such inmates can be ‘high-risk’ groups for the HCV transmission in the community as well.

The Faridkot jail is infamous for smuggling of drugs in the jail. Several times, drug cartels operating from this jail has been busted and even the jail staff has been caught for allegedly supplying drugs to inmates.