The ‘silent killer’: Hepatitis-C patients stage sit-in

Since hepatitis centre in-charge was not available, protesters called off their sit-in after registering their protest

SUKKUR:

Several of hepatitis-C patients, accompanied by political workers, staged a demonstration and sit-in on Wednesday at the main gate of Civil Hospital, Mirpur Mathelo, against non-availability of hepatitis C injections.

Political parties supporting the protest included Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), Sindh United Party and Pakistan Peoples Party - Shaheed Bhutto (PPP-SB). The protesters, led by JSQM’s Fakir Ramzan Kalwar, PPP-SB’s Nisar Bozdar and others, gathered outside Civil Hospital. The protesters shouted slogans against the hospital authorities.

Speaking on the occasion, Bozdar and Kalwar alleged that instead of giving the injections to the poor patients, the hospital authorities are selling it in the market. Since the hepatitis centre in-charge was not available at the hospital, the protesters called off their sit-in after registering their protest.

Civil Hospital medical superintendent Dr Abdul Latif Buriro said that a company, which used to provide hepatitis C injections at a comparatively low price, has filed a petition in the Sindh High Court against the government for purchasing costly injections from another company. “The court has stayed the matter, due to which supply of the hepatitis-C injections has been affected.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2015.