24 TB cases in Central Jail

Twenty-four cases of tuberculosis have been reported till now among the inmates lodged in Central Jail here, officials said.
Of the 29 inmates who underwent medical examination recently, 24 have been found suffering from TB out of whom eight are at a critical stage, district TB officer Dr Rajbir Singh said today.
The jail inmates suffering from TB fall in the age-group of 30 to 70 years, Singh said, adding one of them has also been found infected by HIV virus.
Jail officials said that despite repeated requests being made to provide security for taking the inmates out for medical examination, no considerable action has been taken as yet.

Last year, 772 written requests were made to provide security for taking 860 jail inmates for medical examination, but it could be provided to only 101 inmates who were then taken for the examination.