Asia’s largest prison Tihar is a ticking bomb as it houses 97 HIV/AIDS positive inmates. The HIV positive prisoners are being treated in various hospitals on Government expense and all these inmates have been kept in various jails.
Tihar administration’s stand is that none of inmates has complained that they were affected with HIV after living with the infected prisoners. It might come as a shock but as per information provided by the Delhi prisons authorities, till the end of year 2013, of the total 14,071 prisoners, 97 including two women inmates of the jail was found suffering with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which is about one per cent of the total population of the jail. Out of which 14 inmates are on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART).
Officials at Tihar said that one does not get HIV by shaking hands or sharing the same cell. They have been kept in cells meant for prisoners to avoid discrimination.
The data shows that most of the prisoners are intravenous drug users. These prisoners are getting free treatment from jail authorities under the de-addition programme called OST (Opioid Substitution Treatment). This was revealed in a reply to an RTI filed. As per Tihar jail website, there are 14,071 prisoners lodged while the total capacity is only 6,250. Of these, 13,445 are male while 626 female. Total under-trials are 10,588. Of these 281 are foreign national prisoners. Total 16 prisoners lodged in the jail, are convicted to capital punishment or death penalty. The number of HIV positive inmates witnessed a fluctuation in last five years. In year 2009, total 109 inmates were found HIV positive, in year 2010, 124 were found positive, 115 inmates were found positive in year 2011 and 91 were found suffering with AIDS in year 2012.
The jail authorities, however, have no data available with them to prove that anyone of these inmates got infected with HIV after being lodged in the jail. But they claimed that till date no inmates even complained that he/she has been infected with HIV/AIDS while being lodged in the jail. The jail authorities do not have separate cells for the HIV positive inmates as the jail is already overcrowded. They, however, claim that the patients undergo regular health check-up and the jail authority provides them required medicines free of cost.
“New cases of HIV detected in jail among the prisoners who undergo HIV screening. Data is not available in such form (to specify whether they were infected after or before being lodged in the jail),” the jail authorities replied in the RTI.
“All HIV positive are under regular follow-up from Central Jails as well as ART Centres in outside referral hospitals. They are provided ART and other medications as prescribed along with additional medical diet apart from normal jail diet,” they replied.In the reply, the jail authorities claimed that they have adequate arrangements for testing of HIV and they also conduct awareness against the disease.
“HIV is found to be extremely high among inmates who are injecting drug users and sadly most of them are not aware of their HIV status. Their lack of knowledge will lead to spread of HIV to other injecting drug user partners or their spouses after their release from prison,” officials said.According to reply, patient diagnosed with HIV/AIDS is reviewed at the designated ICTC (Integrated Counseling and Testing Centres) counselors at DDU hospital where patient gone for CD4 count
and other required investigation/test. “If doctor of ICTC advised ART they are provided with ART medicine from ICTC DDU hospital,” the reply said.