85 prisoners of Nagaon central jail & special jail test HIV positive

Nagaon: Altogether 85 prisoners of Nagaon Central Jail and Special Jail have been detected as HIV positive in September, a health department official said.

Of the 85 inmates who tested Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive, 45 are from special jail and 40 from central jail located in Nagaon town, Nagaon BP Civil Hospital, Superintendent, Dr. L C Nath said talking to media persons here on Friday.

All of them are drug-induced HIV positive, Dr. Nath said.

Last month altogether 88, including four women, had tested positive in the Civil Hospital, he said.

According to sources in the Nagaon district health department, most of the HIV-positive prisoners are drug addicts and they had used the same syringe for injecting contraband drugs into themselves resulting in them becoming HIV-positive.

The authorities of both central jail and special jail confirmed the information given by the Superintendent of Civil Hospital.