In limbo: Patients suffer due to non-availability of interferon

Hepatitis patients forced to purchase costly injections from their own pockets.

PESHAWAR:

Forty-year-old Zeenat Bibi is barely able to make ends meet for her six-member family since a major chunk of the family’s income goes into buying interferon injections for Zeenat who has been suffering from hepatitis C for the past two years. 

For the past several months, interferon has not been available at any government health facility, causing immense problems for thousands of hepatitis patients in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

“This disease is like a termite which is eating up my life. Since interferon is not available at public hospitals it is becoming difficult for me to carry on my treatment,” Zeenat said while talking to The Express Tribune.

According to Zeenat, her illness forced her to quit her job as a maid, further depriving her family of the income she brought in. “My husband is a daily wager and earns only Rs300-Rs400 per day. On some days, he comes home empty-handed,” she said.

Zeenat was diagnosed with hepatitis B four years ago and she sought treatment from a hakeem. Two years later she was diagnosed with hepatitis C, the most dangerous of the hepatitis viruses.

“As the government is not providing the medicine, I have to purchase interferon injections from my own pocket and one vial costs Rs2,700,” she added. In a month, Zeenat is supposed to receive four doses of the drug, therefore, her monthly cost of treatment hovers around Rs11,000.

“We cannot afford the treatment every month. Compassionate people give me money to buy the medicine,” she added.

“Inflation and poverty coupled with diseases makes life tough for poor families such as mine,” she said.

Stocks depleted

Dr Muhammad Imran, the focal person for Hayatabad Medical Complex’s (HMC), hepatitis unit told The Express Tribune all public hospitals in K-P have not been receiving interferon from the government for the past six months.

“The deadly hepatitis C is spreading fast in the province and around 10 to 15 patients suffering from the disease visit HMC every day,” said Dr Imran.

Worrying statistics

According to an official of the health department, during 2012-2013 a total of 47,000 patients in K-P were diagnosed with hepatitis; 10,000 were infected by hepatitis B while 37,000 were infected by hepatitis C.

“The number is continuously increasing and during 2013-2014 it could rise to 57,000 if proper measures are not taken to curb its spread,” said the official.

In 2012, a World Health Organization (WHO) declared Pakistan a ‘Cirrhotic State’ because it ranked second on the list of countries with the highest number of hepatitis patients.

From the government 

Although the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led provincial government has declared an emergency in the province’s health sector and released Rs500 million for free treatment of hepatitis patients in March, interferon injections have been missing from public hospitals for months.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai reiterated that his government is committed to providing free medicines to hepatitis patients. He claimed interferon is available and is being given to patients registered earlier.

“The supply of the drug was affected due to the interferon scandal during the previous government. However, the court has now given its verdict and the case is over,” said Tarakai.

The government placed a new order for interferon two months ago and it would soon be made available in public hospitals, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2014.