PESHAWAR, Oct 26: A WHO mission has compiled a report stating that the main reason for the rising number of hepatitis C cases in Nowshera is the presence of a large number of quack doctors.
Dr Quaid Saeed, Peshawar-based emergency medical officer of the WHO, talking to Dawn said that it was reported to WHO office in Islamabad that there was an outbreak of hepatitis in Hotikhel village of Nowshera district.
The Islamabad office had earlier sent a team to the area to ascertain the gravity of the situation and compile a report and later asked that Peshawar office to send a mission to the area and launch an awareness programme.
The Peshawar office was also provided a list of patients earlier prepared by the WHO previous mission.
To meet the patients and find out the reality another mission went to the area on Oct 22 under the supervision of Dr Quaid Saeed.
A gathering of hepatitis patients was arranged. The mission met 32 patients diagnosed as positive for hepatitis by local physicians.
“We saw 32 patients in Hotikhel village, 21 of them had hepatitis C and the rest were infected with B type. The main reason is the practice by quacks, who administer several injections to the patients with the same syringe,” said Dr Saeed.
According to him, the main road of HotiKhel had a lot of drug shops run by unqualified people who give all types of treatment to the residents of the area. The people usually seek treatment from them.
He said that it was established that there was no outbreak of hepatitis in the area except some positive cases of hepatitis C.
Questions were asked from all the patients about the source of infection. Majority of them told the mission that they were not aware of any source except that most of them had gone to quacks for treatment.
It was difficult to ask about their sexual habits in such a short span, which is another major source of infection, said Dr Saeed.
At the end of the day, a session was held with the patients who were informed about different sources of acquiring the infection. More emphasis was laid on their spreading the disease to others and they were advised specially about their wives and children.
Mr Saeed said that according to a study carried out recently by a Peshawar-based physician, the incidence of hepatitis was 10 per cent in Nowshera Kalan. Keeping the same study in mind the number of patients seen in Nowshera Kalan was not alarming.
The world health agency, has recommended that in collaboration with department of health and certain NGOs working in the area, it could embark on a programme of health education for the prevention of hepatitis.
Dr Saeed said that the elders of the area were willing to form a committee to educate the people, vaccinating them, and stopping the quackery. Moreover, they were willing to generate funds for the treatment of poor suffering from the disease.
