Almost 60 per cent of inmates at the Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) have been diagnosed with HIV.
This was confirmed by the FCS Commissioner Dr Jalesi Nakarawa who said inmates who have contracted HIV were mostly remandees, especially those who were doing drugs by bluetoothing.
Mr Nakarawa said it was quite alarming for the institution as corrections officers were also dealing with inmates diagnosed with HIV.
“It’s quite difficult to give the stats for those who have contracted HIV but average wise, it’s about 60 per cent,” Dr Nakarawa said.
“When I say 60 per cent, previously it was about 10 or 20 per cent, but now it’s hitting to about a 60 per cent increase, and most of these prisoners are remandees because of the fluidity of them coming in.
“It’s quite alarming in the sense that officers too are dealing with them on a daily basis.
“It’s also because of the confidentiality of HIV, it’s quite difficult to discuss these things.
“Even the testing thing, it has to be requested by the inmates. We can’t force them to do these HIV tests.”
