Strategy adopted by health dept to overcome hepatitis

Minister says filter clinics are being set up to eradicate and treat hepatitis in 25 district headquarters hospitals

LAHORE: According to Punjab Hepatitis Control Programme, around 80,000 people were suffering from hepatitis only in Punjab, the health department has started registration of barbers and setting up filter clinics in Punjab rural areas.

Hepatitis has become a serious threat to public health in Pakistan. Approximately 15 million Pakistanis have been infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses.

Punjab Primary and Secondary Health Secretary Ali Jan Khan said that a multi-pronged strategy has been adopted by the health department to overcome the hepatitis disease. He added that the facility of free treatment of patients along with adopting of different practical steps for the eradication of this disease has been provided.

He said that auto-destructive syringes have been introduced in the hospitals to overcome hepatitis B and C and along with it necessary regulations were being promulgated for the barber shops and beauty salons so that the people may not succumb to this disease.

He said that filter clinics were being set up for the eradication and treatment of hepatitis in 25 district headquarters hospitals of the province. Along with it, patients with hepatitis were being provided free treatment facilities in 100 tehsil headquarters hospitals where medicines were also given free of to such patients so that they may not be economically burdened, he added.



He further said that Primary and Secondary Health Department had fixed a target of free treatment of one lakh hepatitis patients.

The purpose of celebrating health week and blood screening camps in the province was to sensitise people about this disease besides adoption of necessary measures to stop further spread of this disease in the province, the secretary added.

He said that during this awareness week, proper disposal of hospital’s waste would be ensured. Barbers and dentists would also be sensitised about the issue, he added.

“The vaccination and treatment of hepatitis are both very costly. Therefore, the government decided to observe hepatitis week to provide free medical facilities to the public.”

He said that standard operating procedures had also been prepared for barbers, dentists, blood banks, hospital waste management and against reuse of disposable syringes to curb reuse of infected medical equipment. “We are committed to making Punjab a hepatitis-free province,” he said.

“It is ironic that the hepatitis infection is detected in a timely manner only among a fraction of the infected people and even fewer receive proper treatment for the deadly disease,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2017.