HIV detection centre in Tihar

Authorities at Asia’s biggest jail, Tihar, have set up an in-house testing centre for HIV to motivate inmates “currently unwilling to go in for checks”.

Ten per cent of the over 11,000 prisoners currently languishing in the jail are drug addicts, and a few of them “could possibly be infected”. Officials want to make them, and others, take the test that can be done either on their consent or on a doctor’s advice.

“Having a centre inside the prison would help encourage more inmates,” said BK Gupta, Director General (Prisons). The Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre was inaugurated on Tuesday.