KARACHI, May 22: The poor patients will be provided free of cost treatment at the Sarwar Zuberi Liver Unit of the Dow University of Health Sciences, which was inaugurated on Saturday. The unit has been set up on a self-help basis and is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment.

Professors and doctors, who spoke on the occasion, including Prof Masood Hameed of the DUHS, Prof Rana Masood of the SZLU, Dr Capt M Raza Ali of the Civil Hospital and Prof Irshad Waheed of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP), were of the view that an overwhelming majority of people in the country could fall victim to hepatitis given the insanitary conditions they were compelled to live in.

Prof Waheed announced on the occasion that the CPSP would provide all possible help to the newly-established unit. He pointed out that all the big units that existed in the country were built on a self-help basis, so the people with vision should not look towards the government for help.

Prof Hameed said a campaign would be launched against hepatitis under the SZLU. The government should endeavour to provide potable water and quality foodstuff to the masses, otherwise the prevalence of hepatitis among them would increase within a short period of time.

Referring to the country as a high-risk area, he advised the people that they should wash hands before and after eating, use good quality food, consume water after disinfecting it and be careful so far as blood transfusion was concerned.

Prof Rana Masood said liver treatment, being costly, was beyond the reach of the poor, and explained that the treatment costing Rs60,000 or less would be provided free of cost to the needy patients at the newly-established unit.

He pointed out that the local pharmaceutical companies and philanthropists had donated generously for the establishment of the unit.