KARACHI: NICH launches vaccination programme for its staff
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, July 4: The National Institute of Child Health on Monday launched a vaccination programme against Hepatitis B for paramedics, which are believed to be at great risk of exposure to blood borne viruses. According to director of the institute, about 120 paramedical staff would be benefited through the vaccination programme launched with the cooperation of a pharmaceutical company, while nurses and laboratory technicians would also be covered and provided with the vaccine in future.
The data collected by researchers indicated that frequency of needle stick injuries (NSI) among doctors and other health workers in the country was sizeable, which could be addressed only through proper knowledge and careful behaviour and control measures.
Experts say that hospital workers are at great risk of exposure to blood borne viruses through injuries with used needles and sharp instruments and as such it is important to monitor these incidents and carry out proper risk assessment, particularly in a situation when the viruses are endemic.
The anti-hepatitis vaccines were handed over to the NICH at a ceremony attended by the donors’ representatives, institute’s doctors, nursing staff and paramedics.
NICH Director Prof Afroze Ramzan emphasized the importance of vaccination against hepatitis and held that the best treatment of hepatitis up till now was prevention.
Referring to the increase of 36 per cent in the NICH budget, she expressed hope that some of the projects would be completed during the fiscal year. She mentioned that during the previous financial year ended on June 30, about 5875 new born babies were vaccinated against Hepatitis B, under government’s extended programme of immunization, at the institute.
According to her, in view of the welfare of hospital staffers and their respective family members a “Staff Clinic” has also been established at the NICH.
The nursing superintendent, Afshan Nazli, also spoke and thanked the NICH management and the donor company for initiating the vaccination programme.
Maqsood Ahmed, in charge paramedical staff, said that Hepatitis-B had emerged as a major health challenge with every 10th person in the country feared to be inflicted with the disease, adds PPI.
He expressed his gratitude to the NICH Director and the donor company for arranging the much warranted intervention, protecting health care providers against the infection they were most prone to.
While responding to requests made during the ceremony, a representative of the pharmaceutical firm, Pervaiz Iqbal Awan, announced a donation of Hepatitis B kit for screening of all the paramedical and nursing staff of the NICH.
