June 30, 2007	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 14, 1428

MULTAN, June 29: The district government is taking emergency measures to help check Hepatitis in Multan and Shujaabad and a team of specialist doctors is being hired to determine reasons for high incidence of the disease and provide treatment to the affected people.

District Nazim Mian Faisal Mukhtar said this at a meeting held here on Friday to discuss measures to control Hepatitis spread in Multan and Shujabad.

He said that he had recommended to the project director of Prime Minister’s Hepatitis Control Program to send a team of experts to find out causes of high incidence of disease in the area and set up treatment centres at civil hospitals in Multan and Shujabad.

He said the district government had allocated a large sum for the prevention of hepatitis in this year’s budget and a diagnostic lab would be set up for conducting free tests of patients who would also be provided free of cost treatment.

He also directed EDO (Health) Dr Javed Hasan Ajmi to launch an awareness campaign among the masses so that spread of hepatitis could be checked.

Dr Ajmi said on the occasion that people should avoid using quacks’ medicines to treat hepatitis and consult qualified doctors.

He said it was also the responsibility of elected representatives and other influential people of the area to play their role for creating awareness among the masses about disease prevention.

He said under the prime minister’s programme, 15 million people would be vaccinated against hepatitis, adding that DG Health had provided 0.1 million syringes for the purpose while the district government was bearing the screening cost.