Chennai: Health minister C. Vijayabaskar inaugurated the revised programme for the expansion of diagnostic and treatment facilities for tuberculosis and HIV in high-risk group of prisoners. The state social welfare department and Tamil Nadu State Aids Control Society signed an MoU to improve the access to diagnostic services on the jail premises.
Estimates say that 2 out of 1,000 prisoners are diagnosed with HIV, making them more prone to be affected by the virus. National Aids Control Organisation aims to bring down the numbers of HIV-TB affected prisoners and is expanding the diagnostic and treatment facilities with more counseling and rehabilitation centers.
A report by International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease in 2017 examined the availability of TB diagnostic and treatment facilities in around 170 prisons in the country, including 10 prisons in Tamil Nadu and said that less than half of the prisons screened inmates for TB on entry.
Prisons are high-risk environment for tuberculosis due to poor nutrition levels and increased risk of infection, therefore, the health department is stressing on the availability of diagnostic and treatment services in the prison premises.
