CoNE reaches out to female prison inmates for HCV screening
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 13 2019: In its endeavour to ensure that maximum of the prison inmates in the State get access to Hepatitis C screening, diagnosis and treatment, Community Network for Empowerment (CoNE) reached out to the female inmates at Manipur Central Prison, Imphal and screened altogether 27 inmates for Hepatitis C.Of the 27 patients, all those whose antibody test results aire positive will be directly linked to the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP) and provided free diagnostics and treatment, said a statement of CoNE today.

Under the joint initiative of CoNE; NVHCP, Manipur Unit; Babina Diagnostics and Manipur Central Prison, Imphal, an awareness was also held in line with the HCV screening programme.

The programme was supported by Coalition Plus, said CoNE and continued that it was the first screening camp exclusively for female prison inmates after successful prison intervention programmes taken up at Manipur Central Jail, Sajiwa from 2017, where the targets were male injecting drug users.

Manipur is the first State in India and also the first in the entire South East Asian region where free Hepatitis C treatment exclusively to jail inmates is provided.

The initiative was taken up by CoNE in collaboration with Babina Diagnostics and prison authorities at Manipur Central Jail Sajiwa on September 6, 2017.So far, altogether 46 male prison inmates of Sajiwa Central Jail have been provided free treatment by CoNE, said the statement.

Manipur Central Prison, Imphal Superintendent of Police A Kunjakeshor Singh; Deputy SP SK Bhadrika; NVHCP State Nodal Officer Dr RK Rosie; Central Jail Senior MO Dr Menaka and CoNE secretary RK Komoljit attended the screening programme as presidium members.

SP Kunjakeshore appreciated CoNE for taking up the initiative and appealed all female inmates to take advantage of the programme and get access to free testing, diagnostics and treatment.

Dr RK Rosie enlightened the inmates on the basics of viral Hepatitis.

CoNE secretary RK Komoljit also handed over gifts and edibles for the children living in the prison.

CoNE project coordinator DC Achung also attended the programme.

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