Jails in Pakistan are main target of HIV/AIDS as more than 5,189 prisoners in different jails across the country are suffering from this diseases and other deadly diseases.
This was mentioned in a report submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari.
The court had earlier formed a commission, headed by Shireen Mazari, for making a complete report about the facilities and recommendations for reforms in jails.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah resumed the hearing of a petition filed by a prisoner Khadim Hussain against poor health facilities in jails.
The report revealed that some 425 prisoners were diagnosed of HIV/AIDS. A further breakdown of the cases showed that in Punjab 225 male and two female convicts were suffering from the disease, 115 male and one female in Sindh was found contracted with the disease, while 39 cases were found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and 13 in Balochistan.
Mazari’s report also showed that 65 per cent of the prisoners in jail are yet to be convicted as their cases are pending with the courts. The report shared that decisions of 55 per cent cases in Punjab, 71 per cent in KP, 70 per cent in Sindh and 59 per cent in Balochistan have not been announced. It further adds that 290 male and eight female prisoners in Punjab, 50 in Sindh, 235 in KP and 11 in Balochistan are mental patients.
Report further revealed that 1,832 prisoners have been diagnosed with Hepatitis, 173 are suffering from Tuberculosis, 594 are suffering from various mental disease, while 2,192 are suffering from other diseases.
The report shared that all district and central prisoners across Pakistan have access to hospitals but they lack important medical equipment such as ECG, X-Ray, ultrasound machines, oxygen cylinders, dental units, laboratories and beds in these prison hospitals.
