SWABI: As many as 11 prisoners in the district jail here are suffering from HIV/AIDS, according to sources.

Sources in the district health department told this correspondent on Friday that the medical tests of all the prisoners were conducted recently by staff of the district headquarters hospital, Swabi, and reports had confirmed 11 positive cases.

“We knew about the number of AIDS patients when we conducted medical tests of the prisoners on the directives of the health authorities,” said a health official on condition of anonymity.

It has been learnt that the total capacity of the jail was 130. The prison was built by the Britishers in 1894 for 85 prisoners only. Later, the government created the capacity for 50 more prisoners.

However, there were 640 prisoners in the jail at present, said the sources, adding that they feared spread of the disease to more prisoners. They said that the main problem faced by the prisoners was overcrowding.

An official said that all barracks in the jail were overcrowded and there was no space for more prisoners.

The sources said that among the diagnosed patients 15 had been suffering from hepatitis-C and 12 from hepatitis-B.

However, one of the officials said that the number of the patients was much higher. He said that of the HIV/AIDS patients four were also suffering from hepatitis-C.

When contacted, DHQ hospital medical superintendent Dr Mohammad Shafiq confirmed that there were some cases of HIV/AIDS, but for confirmation they had invited a team from Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. He said that the team had conducted tests, but the results were awaited.

Dr Shafiq said that after confirmation they would conduct the test of the entire family of each of the HIV patients.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2018