12 Cebu City jail inmates found positive for HIV

CEBU, Philippines - At least 12 inmates at the Cebu City Jail were found positive for HIV and AIDS.

This was disclosed by Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella who received the initial report from Cebu City Jail Warden Johnson Calub.

Labella, the chairman of Police Coordinating and Advisory Council, said that based on the initial report, the 12 inmates are currently being monitored by the city jail officials.

“Ang report sa akoa ni Superintendent Calub is that kini sila, positive na when they came in sa jail sometime in 2013,” Labella said.

When asked on the interventions done by the city jail, Labella said that Calub informed him that they are continuously giving anti-retroviral drugs to the inmates inflicted with HIV.

“Superintendent Calub also informed me that they are strictly monitoring these inmates,” the vice mayor said.

The City Jail has currently 2,442 inmates. Those with HIV are reportedly not isolated from the other detainees since it is a form of discrimination.

Labella said that he directed Calub to handle the matter with confidentiality as stipulated in Republic Act 8504 or the “the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998.”

R.A 8504 states that “Medical Confidentiality - All health professionals, medical instructors, workers, employers, recruitment agencies, insurance companies, data encoders, and other custodians of any medical record, file, data, or test results are directed to strictly observe confidentiality in the handling of all medical information, particularly the identity and status of persons with HIV.”

Mayor Michael Rama urged the City Health Department to coordinate with Department of Health to address the problem, saying that HIV is not an “ordinary sickness.”

“Calub should be extra careful because for a person to know nga positive siya, it is very traumatic. Calub should handle the matter with confidentiality and respect these people,” Rama said.

To prevent further infliction inside the jail, Labella said that he directed Calub to conduct random greyhound operations so that no injectable drugs will be transported inside the jail facility.

THE FREEMAN tried to contact Calub, but calls went unanswered. (FREEMAN)