FAISALABAD, May 2: About 12 per cent population in the country have been suffering from hepatitis B and C viruses and the figure is 22 per cent in Faisalabad which necessitates the establishment of a liver transplant centre in the district.

Liver Foundation Trust Chairman Dr Zahid Yasin said this while addressing a press conference along with clinical research registrar of liver centre and Allied Hospital Dr Irfan Ahmed here on Wednesday.

He said the data on Faisalabad and its surrounding areas had been collected from our free camps wherein 12,000 people were scanned for hepatitis C.

Dr Yasin said the ratio of hepatitis patients had forced us to establish a liver centre in the district in 2004. He said hepatitis C patients had occupied all beds of this centre. Besides, 35 per cent beds of Allied and DHQ hospitals were also filled with these patients.

Spelling out the performance of the liver centre, he said about 60,358 hepatitis patients had been consulted during the last 18 months and about 5,000 patients were admitted there.

At least 629 patients were given free antiviral therapy for hepatitis C and 86 per cent of them had become negative after six months of therapy.

He said the end stage liver damage required a liver transplant centre in the country. He said that patients had to visit China, the US and other countries which required heavy expenses. Mr Hashmi said the liver transplant cost Rs10 to 20 million in the US, five to six million in China and Rs10 million in Singapore. On the contrary, the same task could be performed on nominal charges if the liver transplant centre was established in Pakistan, he said.

He said a feasibility report had been prepared for establishing the centre and work on the project would be started shortly with the assistance of philanthropists and local industrialists. “We only request the government to allot a piece of land for the centre”, he said. The liver transplant would cost only Rs1.5 million to those who could afford and about Rs200,000 to the common run of people. While the facility would be extended free-of-cost to the needy and poor patients, he said.