Dharamshala: The prisoners are 70 times more vulnerable to tuberculosis than those who are out of bars, said a senior official at a TB workshop in Dharamshala prison here.
"Studies show that burden of this disease (TB) is up to 70 times greater in prisons than in communities," said SDM Dharamshala Balbir Thakur today during the workshop organised by TB Department of state Health services with prison inmates at Dharamshala Jail.
The Sub-Divisional Magistrate said that the demographics of the prison population (low socio-economic status, large number of migrants, homeless, drug use), in addition to the situational and environmental vulnerabilities of the prison (as overcrowding, poor ventilation) increases the risk of contacting TB among prisoners.
There are around 300 prisoners in this jail.
District TB officer, Dr R K Sood said that the TB bacteria acquired resistance to many drugs, spreading rapidly among homeless people, AIDS patients, and other vulnerable groups.
He said, "Lifestyle choices are important to ensure that latent tuberculosis infection does not convert into active disease. Smoking substantially increases the risk of TB and the death. Smokers are up to three times more likely to develop TB infection than non-smokers."
Dr Sood said that up to one in every five deaths from TB could be avoided if the individuals do not smoke.
Exposure to second-hand smoke increases the risks of both tuberculosis infection and development of active TB disease among children and adults.
Dr Sanjay Bhardwaj SMO Jail added that there no need for isolation of patient on treatment, as they becomes non-infectious after starting medicine.
Jail Superintendent Sushil Thakur said that the jail has DOTS centre and is implementing measures for TB screening of vulnerable population.
He stressed on exercise and yoga for effective immunity. Effective TB control in prison protects prisoners, staff, visitors and the community at large.
"Nearly 2,00,000 TB patients have been cured in the past 18 years in Himachal and still more have to be treated to completely eradicate the disease from the state," an official of the Health department of Himachal Pradesh said here.
He said that these patients have been treated under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP).
"It's a collective responsibility of all of us to make people realise the purpose of the national disease control efforts so that we all contribute to the comprehensive TB control programme and eliminate the disease from the country," he added.
Recently, Himachal Pradesh Health Minister Kaul Singh has said that the government was committed to open DOTS centre in every block of the state.
