HIV counselling and testing centre in Chennai prison

[Guest guest]

Chennai, July 26: The country's first Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre

(ICTC), aimed at providing HIV counselling and testing for convicted prisoners,

was inaugurated at the Central Prison Complex in Puzhal near here today.

Inaugurating the centre set up jointly by Tamil Nadu State Legal Services

Authority (TNSLSA), Tamil Nadu State Aids Control Society (TNSACS) and the

Additional Director General of Prisons, Madras High Court Chief Justice A K

Ganguly said the centre would play a key role in identifying the HIV status of

prisoners.

" Our prison jurisprudence is infused with human rights. We want the convicts to

come back and join the mainstream society. This type of centres will help the

convicts to return to the society, " he added.

TNSLSA Executive Chairman and Justice S J Mukhopadhaya said the Puzhal prison

should be a model for all other states as it provided all facilities for the

prisoners.

TNSACS Project Director Supriya Sahu said similar centres would soon be opened

at the Central Prisons in Coimbatore, Salem, Tiruchirappali and Vellore.

She said the centres would provide free counselling and testing to all

prisoners, who come forward to check their HIV status - Agencies

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