Lucknow: After Covid-19, Uttar Pradesh is now hit by rising cases of the HIV. The state health department went into tizzy after nine HIV positive cases were reported from Gorakhpur District Jail during a check-up of jail inmates.
The Microbiology department of the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur had conducted the HIV testing of jail inmates. Out of 1200 jail inmates, nine were found to be HIV infected. The result has shocked the state health departments as the outside world is almost shut for the jail inmates, except for they being taken for court hearings under police custody.
“It is very difficult for us to find out from where and when these jail inmates got HIV infection. We are all shocked over the results. These nine inmates have been separated from others and kept under strict vigil and medical monitoring,” said Dr Amresh Singh, Head Microbiology department of BRD Medical College.
Since there is little awareness about the deadly disease among jail inmates, the Jail administration is finding it difficult to deal with the situation. The Jail Superintendent Dr Ram Dhani has sent a report to the State government seeking advice on sending these nine HIV Positive inmates to the hospital for treatment or separating them within jail premises.
The Gorakhpur District Jail is already bursting with double the number of inmates against its capacity. “There is no space left within the jail premises to keep them separately,” said another jail official. The number of HIV positive cases may go up as HIV testing of 600 more jail inmates are yet to be done, he added.
The State Health department is sending a team of experts and doctors to Gorakhpur District Jail to begin the treatment of nine HIV Positive jail inmates and inquire into how, when and from where these inmates got the infection.
