Police hepatitis screening: Positive, but not about the cost of treatment
Doctors fear over half of policemen who tested positive could have hepatitis B or C.
KARACHI:
Policemen are no strangers to blood but something else courses through their brain when they see their own filling up a syringe. Nearly 9,000 of the 115,000-strong force have tested positive for hepatitis in one of the biggest medical campaigns undertaken by the Sindh police in recent times. And as the testing continues and the results pour in, more and more of them grow worried about what will happen.
“Where will we be treated? Will they pay for the treatment of our families as well?” asked Ali Gul, not his real name, who was giving a blood sample at one of the 38 collection points in Karachi. While he was happy that at least he had been diagnosed, he was worried about the cost.
As are other members of the force who have been lining up, rolling up their sleeves and balling their hands into a fist. That is the easy part. What will prove a challenge is undergoing the six-month treatment for hepatitis B that costs between Rs100,000 and Rs150,000. Hepatitis C is more expensive at Rs300,000 to Rs400,000.
But there is a plan. The Additional Inspector-General of Welfare Ali Sher Jakhrani pointed out that the treatment of a majority of positive cases would be done at the Dow University of Health Sciences, and its branches in Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur and Nawabshah. He added that per head, the cost for the test was between Rs600 and Rs900, and they had already spent tens of millions of rupees on the first part of the campaign. “All policemen are like our children and we are ready to spend even more money for their well being,” he said.
The central office for the campaign is located at the Garden Police hospital while nearly 16 focal points have been set up by the police across the city. DUHS and Raheela Laboratories, the partners in the drive, have set up at least another 22 focal points.
The screening, which was initiated by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh Fayyaz Ahmed Leghari from May 2, was supposed to be completed within a week. AIG Welfare Ali Sher Jakhrani was responsible for the campaign and he had to submit his report to the IGP on May 10. The AIG said that inadequate support from laboratories was responsible for the first extension.
IGP Leghari is the driving force behind the work. He heads a two-member team of AIG Welfare and DIG Headquarters Ghulam Nabi Memon. At least 16 officers are working under their supervision.
The drive has been extended for another two weeks instead of ending on May 31. This is the second time that the end date has been moved forward. Meanwhile, doctors who have been reviewing blood samples fear that nearly 70 per cent of the 3,000 Karachi police personnel whose results are positive would have hepatitis B or C.
“The process needs to continue,” Dr Shujaat Ali, the deputy medical superintendent at the Garden Police hospital, told The Express Tribune. “But it would be completed within the next two weeks.”
Blood samples are being collected from police personnel and are being sent to the labs. So far, they have 3,000 positive results. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are all hepatitis B or C cases,” Dr Ali hastens to add.
The samples would now be sent for RNA and DNA for further investigation. DNA and RNA help confirm the presence of the viral strand of the disease. “If the RNA and DNA tests are positive, then it’s a cause for concern,” he explained. There are certain stages in hepatitis that don’t require treatment. But when the DNA result is positive, then the person is a hepatitis B patient. If the RNA is positive, then it’s a case of hepatitis C.
In case of positive RNA or DNA, the police personnel would be under treatment for the conventional six-month period. “It varies from case to case. Generally, patients don’t need to be admitted. They just have to come in for the injections. However, if there are complications, than it can take from nine to twelve months,” Dr Ali elaborated. “We fear that more than 50 per cent of the 3,000 who have tested positive can have hepatitis.”
Those who tested positive can remain on duty during treatment. A patient is only admitted when he or she is at an extremely critical stage. Otherwise, they can live normal lives.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2011.
Policemen are no strangers to blood but something else courses through their brain when they see their own filling up a syringe. Nearly 9,000 of the 115,000-strong force have tested positive for hepatitis in one of the biggest medical campaigns undertaken by the Sindh police in recent times. And as the testing continues and the results pour in, more and more of them grow worried about what will happen.
“Where will we be treated? Will they pay for the treatment of our families as well?” asked Ali Gul, not his real name, who was giving a blood sample at one of the 38 collection points in Karachi. While he was happy that at least he had been diagnosed, he was worried about the cost.
As are other members of the force who have been lining up, rolling up their sleeves and balling their hands into a fist. That is the easy part. What will prove a challenge is undergoing the six-month treatment for hepatitis B that costs between Rs100,000 and Rs150,000. Hepatitis C is more expensive at Rs300,000 to Rs400,000.
But there is a plan. The Additional Inspector-General of Welfare Ali Sher Jakhrani pointed out that the treatment of a majority of positive cases would be done at the Dow University of Health Sciences, and its branches in Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur and Nawabshah. He added that per head, the cost for the test was between Rs600 and Rs900, and they had already spent tens of millions of rupees on the first part of the campaign. “All policemen are like our children and we are ready to spend even more money for their well being,” he said.
The central office for the campaign is located at the Garden Police hospital while nearly 16 focal points have been set up by the police across the city. DUHS and Raheela Laboratories, the partners in the drive, have set up at least another 22 focal points.
The screening, which was initiated by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh Fayyaz Ahmed Leghari from May 2, was supposed to be completed within a week. AIG Welfare Ali Sher Jakhrani was responsible for the campaign and he had to submit his report to the IGP on May 10. The AIG said that inadequate support from laboratories was responsible for the first extension.
IGP Leghari is the driving force behind the work. He heads a two-member team of AIG Welfare and DIG Headquarters Ghulam Nabi Memon. At least 16 officers are working under their supervision.
The drive has been extended for another two weeks instead of ending on May 31. This is the second time that the end date has been moved forward. Meanwhile, doctors who have been reviewing blood samples fear that nearly 70 per cent of the 3,000 Karachi police personnel whose results are positive would have hepatitis B or C.
“The process needs to continue,” Dr Shujaat Ali, the deputy medical superintendent at the Garden Police hospital, told The Express Tribune. “But it would be completed within the next two weeks.”
Blood samples are being collected from police personnel and are being sent to the labs. So far, they have 3,000 positive results. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are all hepatitis B or C cases,” Dr Ali hastens to add.
The samples would now be sent for RNA and DNA for further investigation. DNA and RNA help confirm the presence of the viral strand of the disease. “If the RNA and DNA tests are positive, then it’s a cause for concern,” he explained. There are certain stages in hepatitis that don’t require treatment. But when the DNA result is positive, then the person is a hepatitis B patient. If the RNA is positive, then it’s a case of hepatitis C.
In case of positive RNA or DNA, the police personnel would be under treatment for the conventional six-month period. “It varies from case to case. Generally, patients don’t need to be admitted. They just have to come in for the injections. However, if there are complications, than it can take from nine to twelve months,” Dr Ali elaborated. “We fear that more than 50 per cent of the 3,000 who have tested positive can have hepatitis.”
Those who tested positive can remain on duty during treatment. A patient is only admitted when he or she is at an extremely critical stage. Otherwise, they can live normal lives.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2011.