| Hepatitis fast becoming a menace in Sindh |
| Saturday, 19 July 2008 | |
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The federal government has taken note of the deteriorating health conditions in Larkana and Kamber where poverty, filthy water and unnecessary use of injections are wreaking havoc on people’s lives with the emergence of Hepatitis-D (Delta virus), official sources told The News on Monday. The sources said that on instructions of the Prime Minister, Yusuf Raza Gillani, four top health officials of the federal and provincial governments visited Kamber-Shahdadkot district and old areas of Larkana the other day and assessed the health conditions there. The sources said that the Director-General (DG), Health, Dr Rashid Jooma, Health Secretary, Sindh, Shafiq Khoso, Director-General, Health, Sindh, Dr Ghulam Nabi Memon, and focal person of national programme to control hepatitis Dr Zulfiqar, met with health officials concerned and patients and arranged proper screening, specially for Hepatitis-D. “The premier has received information that medical situation was bad in Larkana and Kamber,” said Dr Jooma. He said that the ratio of hepatitis B and C was higher than the national average there while emergence of Hepatitis-D was a “dangerous thing”. He said trend of administering injections was high in Kamber, which was spreading hepatitis. Another reason was poverty and lack of awareness. He said they came to the conclusion that “situation is serious and something needs to be done.” Efforts should be intensified both at the administrative and health levels, he added. Dr Jooma said he was preparing recommendations and would furnish the same to the premier for improving health conditions there. The DG health Sindh Dr Ghulam Nabi Memon said they arranged PCR (test to ascertain existence of hepatitis) as its test in private sector cost Rs3,000-4,000, which the poor could not afford. He said 48 patients of hepatitis-B were confirmed hepatitis-D patients. He said hepatitis-D infect those persons who were already suffering from hepatitis-B. He said hepatitis-D was incurable. A local medical official who wished not to be named said that people and animals drank water from the same pond in rural areas of Kamber district where mostly cases of Delta virus had been uncovered. Dr Memon said they had decided to set up screening centre in Kamber hospital to conduct test of hepatitis and required instruments would be provided within a week. He said a pathologist and surgeon would also be appointed there within a week. He said the concerned district government had promised to provide over Rs10 million for treatment of hepatitis patients while the Sindh government would provide Rs150 million. He said vaccines to prevent hepatitis-B would also be purchased. He said the PC-I had been prepared to control hepatitis in Sindh province. He said this plan was worth over Rs4 billion. |
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