Chief Medical Officer Dr Prem Lal and the Jail Superintendent Ashok Kumar inaugurated together the state’s first prison facilitated integrated counselling and testing centre (FICTC) at Haridwar jail on Wednesday. It is learnt that through FICTC, testing and counselling of the HIV-inflicted prisoners has been initiated. The staffers of the district prison have been trained on the counselling and testing of the HIV- positive patients. The staff members said that in case a prisoner is found afflicted with AIDS he would be provided with the required treatment.
While inaugurating the facility, the jail superintendent Ashok Kumar said that earlier the counselling and testing had been carried out through mobile van by the Dehradun centre. “Just 100 prisoners could be tested then while the others were left out. Haridwar has become the first district of the state to have integrated counselling and testing centre. Now, we need not send our patients to other hospitals for examination,” he said. He added that the CMO had inspected OPD, IPD, isolated barracks, dental room and drug store on the day.
CMO said that AIDS is a virus- borne disease. “If detected at an earlier stage, it is curable through ART therapy, control of diet and change in life style.” “HIV kits would be maintained in the hospital,” said the district nodal officer Ajay Kumar.