Federal Minister for National Health Services Aamer Mehmood Kiani Inaugurated free screening camp for Hepatitis B,C and TB at police Headquarters Islamabad today. Speaking on this occasion Minister said that 12 thousand Police Personnel will benefit from free facility. He said screening process will help in early detection and quick treatment of the personnel. Hepatitis-C is an example where early detection could help in preventing Liver cirrhosis, permanent damage and Liver cancer. The patients detected positive by the screening process will be referred for a gene expert test at the “Center for infectious disease”, recently inaugurated by the Minister of National Health Services. Treatment for hepatitis-c will be provided at the Center, without any cost. Adopting a multi-prong approach to make Islamabad Hepatitis C and tuberculosis free, the Federal Minister for NHSRC has directed to screen ICT police personnel for communicable and non- communicable diseases. Approximately 12000 officers and staff of ICT police will be screened for Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, Diabetes, and hypertension. Minister said our Government is cognizant of the risk posed to health of people by hepatitis C and TB including infectious diseases when these diseases affect poor people they are pushed into further poverty. Present Government is committed to poverty alleviation and our focus is the poor segment of society. As per the vision of the Prime Minister to turn Islamabad in to a “model health city”, multiple projects have been initiated. “Hepatitis free Islamabad” is one such example. Starting from the most vulnerable and the poorest, the Minister for health services initiated a “Health screening project” for the urban and rural slums of Islamabad. Approximately, 100,000 individuals are being screened for communicable diseases like hepatitis B & C, tuberculosis etc. Pakistan has the second highest disease burden of hepatitis C in the world. Almost 10 million people are affected with hepatitis C in Pakistan. Inadequately screened blood transfusions; inappropriately sterilized medical/surgical/dental/gynecological instruments; sharing razors, shaving blades and toothbrushes are the most significant risk factors for the transmission of the hepatitis C in our country. If left untreated many people will develop life threatening complications including liver cancer.
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