2 April, 2005	Saturday	22 Safar 1426

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LAHORE, April 1: Punjab Health Minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed has admitted that the number of Hepatitis-C patients has increased in the city. The number of reported patients also is climbing because of awareness among people, and better diagnosis and advice by doctors, he said. The minister was responding to MPA Sheikh Tanveer Ahmad’s question about measures the government has taken to control hepatitis, during a question hour about the health department in the Punjab Assembly on Friday.

He, however, said it would be too early to scientifically prove that the incidence of hepatitis was increasing in Lahore. He claimed that Hepatitis-B, on the other hand, was decreasing.

The minister said hepatitis patients did come to the outdoor departments of teaching hospitals in the city, but their number was not alarming compared to the patients suffering from other diseases.

He said a report about 78 male and female hepatitis patients at the Ganga Ram Hospital during the first quarter of this year was not alarming.

He said the government had established blood banks at tertiary-care hospitals as well as district and tehsil headquarters hospitals where appropriate hepatitis B and C screening tests facilities were available. He claimed that no patient was referred to private hospital or laboratory for this purpose.

In order to control hepatitis in the Punjab, Dr Javed said the government had included its vaccination in its regular Extended Programme of Immunization. He said children below one year were being vaccinated against hepatitis free of cost.

The government had spent Rs13 million and Rs12 million to acquire screening kits of Hepatitis-C and Hepatitis-B, respectively, he added.

It had also installed an incinerator at the Children’s Hospital to incinerate used syringes and clinical waste under the Hospital Waste Management Programme. He said this programme would go a long way in controlling the disease.

He also said the government was working to provide hepatitis test facilities at all public-sector hospitals in the province. But, he said, it would take some time. Answering a question by MPA Saghira Islam about the increase in the incidence of tuberculosis and measures to control it, the health minister said the number of TB patients had increased as people were more aware today than ever before and improved diagnosis and advice by doctors.

He said the government had launched a TB control programme — Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse (DOTS) — in all the districts of the province. He said every rural health centre was being converted into a diagnosis centre and basic health unit a treatment centre. He said the TB patients were being provided complete eight-month course medicines free of cost.

Responding to MPA Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar’s question, Dr Javed said the government was considering to regularize the services of doctors currently serving on a contract.

Answering another question about the budget of the Bahawal Victoria Hospital, the minister said the hospital’s budget for 2000-2001 was Rs8.98 million, while in 2001-02 and 2002-03 the budget was Rs2.336 million and Rs3.53 million, respectively.

Mr Channar said it was strange that the hospital budget was much higher before the ‘restoration of democracy’ than it was now.

Replying to a question about EDO (Health) Lahore office employees’ tenure, the minister said the government did not transfer lower-grade employees. As Mr Channar stated that senior officials, including doctors, were also posted in the office, the minister said he had answered the question.

About the government’s decision to establish BHUs in different chaks in Fort Abbas tehsil, the minister said the government permitted the establishment of BHU in union councils and they were functioning.

The questioner, Samina Naveed, said the minister’s answer was incorrect as no health centre was available in different chaks of the tehsil.

Speaker Rai Ejaz intervened and stated that the BHUs would have been there, but not functioning properly.

Answering a question about the provision of MRI facility in Faisalabad, Mr Javed said the government was providing health care facilities on a priority basis. It was planning to establish cardiac and burn centres at the teaching hospital in Faisalabad, which would later have MRI facility.

The health minister tabled written answers to 34 questions asked by different members of the house.