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RAWALPINDI:
Local Hepatitis Elimination and Prevention Programme (LHEAP) and Gulf Care Hospital (GCH), a large private hospital, have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide free treatment to people, who are suffering from Hepatitis B and C in large numbers.
The MoU aims to provide free facilities for all types of surgeries, ultrasound, medicine, and consultation with consultants to people suffering from hepatitis disease. Necessary laboratory tests through blood screening will also be performed free of cost.
Currently, there are a large number of patients with Hepatitis B and C in all union councils (UCs) of Rawalpindi city. The high cost of hepatitis treatment poses a barrier for middle and poor-class people, who often lack the financial resources to get rid of this disease, leading to a higher risk of death.
Under LHEAP, teams visited a total of 10,347 houses in all UCs from July 10 to December this year. During this period, blood screening of 47,631 people was conducted, resulting in the diagnosis of 377 people with Hepatitis B and 1,671 people with Hepatitis C.
Additionally, 38 people were found to have both Hepatitis B and C and eight pregnant women were diagnosed with both Hepatitis B and C. The total number of Hepatitis positive people was 2,086.
As many as 13,413 people suffering from hepatitis were given the first dose of vaccination, 7,819 people received the second dose, and 194 people received the third dose of vaccination. Furthermore, 21,426 people were given the vaccine to prevent Hepatitis B.
Field teams visited 2,540 houses in UC 8, which is currently suffering from the highest incidence of hepatitis in Rawalpindi. A blood screening was conducted on 9,576 individuals, 89 people were diagnosed with hepatitis B and 340 with hepatitis C, while eight people were diagnosed with Hepatitis B and C.
There are 437 people positive for Hepatitis B and C was 437 and is one pregnant woman with Hepatitis B and C. In this UC, 651 people were given the first dose of medicine, 31 others were given the second dose, and 682 people were administered the Hepatitis B vaccine.
Dr Ansar Ishaq, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at LHEAP, says the programme is working on two fronts: firstly, an awareness campaign is being conducted to educate citizens on how to protect themselves from hepatitis, and secondly, following the signing of a MoU with a hospital, people afflicted with the disease will have access the facilities including all necessary laboratory tests, indoor admission, medication, and consultations with specialist doctors.
