Six HIV , 13 Hepatitis cases detected among inmates at Pakpattan jail

SAHIWAL: A three-day screening campaign conducted under the chief minister’s special health initiative identified six HIV cases, five Hepatitis B cases, 83 Hepatitis C cases and 65 tuberculosis cases across seven sites in Pakpattan district, according to an official statement.

The campaign was held from May 13 to 16 under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Asif Raza. The statement said 7,336 people were provided free medical screening at Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Arifwala, Mariam Nawaz health clinics in villages 149/EB and Hella Wattoan, Maternal and Newborn Child Healthcare Centre 93/D, Rural Health Centre Qaboola, District Headquarters Hospital and District Jail Pakpattan.

Officials said all six HIV cases were detected among inmates at District Jail Pakpattan. They also confirmed 13 Hepatitis C cases among prisoners, underscoring the need to extend preventive healthcare services to prison populations. The jail was the second-highest turnout site in the campaign, where 900 inmates were screened, while DHQ Hospital Pakpattan recorded the largest number of visitors with 3,193 people examined.

Deputy Commissioner Asif Raza said the exercise had played an important role in identifying ‘silent killer diseases’ that often go undetected until they reach advanced stages.

Besides infectious diseases, medical teams also diagnosed 293 patients with Type 2 diabetes and two with Type 1 diabetes during the drive. The statement added that 546 couples were enrolled in family planning programmes, 862 people were given therapeutic food, and 1,027 citizens received Hepatitis B vaccination.

Health teams deployed at seven camps

Dr Fozia Kanwal, chief executive officer health, said 260 doctors and paramedics oversaw the seven screening camps while maintaining strict quality standards. She said the large-scale exercise had helped uncover dozens of serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses in the district.

According to Dr Kanwal, the centres also offered free diagnostic, preventive and counselling services, particularly for vulnerable and underserved communities.

Dr Maria, who was in charge of one of the camps, told Dawn that health specialists believed early detection through mass screening significantly would reduce mortality, improve treatment outcomes and help prevent further spread of communicable diseases such as HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis.

The deputy commissioner later distributed appreciation certificates among doctors and paramedics in recognition of their performance during the campaign.

The figures in the official statement showed 83 Hepatitis C cases were detected across all seven screening locations, while a separate official confirmation cited in the report specified that 13 of those cases were found among jail inmates. The statement also recorded five cases of Hepatitis B during the district-wide drive.