Oriental Mindoro Provincial Jail Provincial (OMPJ) Warden Major Romeo U. Delmo, in an interview on August 23, 2017, disclosed that two inmates were tested positive with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), one from Puerto Galera and one from Calapan City (identity withheld).
It will be recalled that from August 22 to August 31, 2017 the Department of Health (DOH-Mimaropa) launched a two-week provincewide mass screening for inmates in various jails and prisons in Oriental Mindoro and Romblon.
Read also: DOH Mimaropa conducts provincewide mass screening for inmates
“I am very thankful for DOH-MIMAROPA Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo for having done this mass screening because we were able to identify inmates with HIV and TB. Upon acceptance of inmates from authorities, we only rely on their physical examination tests submitted to us. We have no way to identify and assess if they are carriers of diseases or not”, Warden Delmo stated.
“I will recommend that strict screening such as these be implemented in all jails and prisons in the province to identify those carriers of HIV and TB, give them proper treatment and management and prevent them from spreading it inside the penitentiary,” he added.
