LARKANA, May 27: A case of AIDS has been detected in the Larkana central prison, Dr Ghulam Shabir Shaikh of the Chandka Medical College Hospital told this correspondent on Tuesday.

The in charge of the CMCH surveillance center for AIDS said an under-trial prisoner, Ghulam Shabir Bhutto, was referred from the central prison to the hospital on May 19 where doctors proposed to carry out his AIDS test. The sample was also sent to the manager, Sindh AIDS control programme, Karachi. The test confirmed that the UTP was infected with AIDS.

Dr Zulfikar Siyal, additional medical superintendent, said the UTP was referred from the prison with pain in abdomen. The doctors treated him for viral hepatitis and his samples were sent for AIDS test.

Ghulam Shabir Bhutto, a resident of Muradwahan locality, was jailed for a minor case and is a heroin addict.

Dr Siyal said the prisoner was unmarried, having history of sexual relations.

The hospital management has sent the patient back to the prison.

The superintendent of the central prison, Manzoor Ahmad Memon, confirmed that the UTP had AIDS and that he called his relatives and informed them about his disease.

It was learnt that jail authorities were planing to send the prisoner to Karachi for treatment.

Dr Shaikh said so far 16 cases of AIDS had been found in Larkana.

Most of the patients, three of whom are women, have returned from Saudi Arabia and Dubai where they had gone for work.

The cases have been detected in Kambar, Dokri, Mehar, Ratodero, Shahadkot and Larkana city.