Pretoria – As South Africa commemorated World Aids Day on 1 December, Correctional Services Deputy Minister Thabang Makwetla visited the health facility at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre.
The Deputy Minister assessed the facility to see if it meets the health standards to treat inmates with HIV and Aids.
During his visit, Deputy Minister Makwetla told the media delegation that all Correctional Centres are equipped with health facilities that can deal with HIV and Aids and TB.
“All the Correctional Centres are equipped with health facilities that can deal with the testing of inmates,” he said.
Deputy Minister Makwetla said inmates are tested voluntarily upon their arrival at the Correctional Centres. More than 82 000 inmates were tested during the 2013/14 financial year.
The health facility at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre is manned by qualified medical personnel, including a qualified doctor.
The Johannesburg Correctional Centre was the sixth to be visited by the Deputy Minister in recent weeks.
World Aids Day is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV and Aids, show their support for people living with HIV and to remember those who have died.
World Aids Day was the first ever global health day, with the first one being held in 1988. – SAnews.gov.za
