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December 31, 2008	Wednesday	Muharram 02,1430

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KARACHI, Dec 30: Health authorities are perturbed over the detection of hepatitis B and C cases in jail inmates, including females and children.

Executive District Officer (Health) Dr A.D. Sajnani told Dawn on Tuesday that a recent screening of inmates by doctors of city government hospitals revealed that over 10 per cent of the surveyed inmates were suffering from the hepatitis C virus, while the overall rate of hepatitis sufferers stood at about three per cent.

He said the health department of the city government conducted screening of 2,174 inmates with the support of Civil Hospital Karachi at the central prison, women jail, juvenile jail and Malir district jail.

At least 226 inmates were detected positive for hepatitis C, while another 69 were tested positive for hepatitis B, he said, adding that the alarming situation called for improved living conditions, particularly with the focus on health and hygiene, of all inmates at the earliest.

He said that the city government’s health department was keenly watching the situation and would soon submit some proposals to the government to ensure treatment of the affected inmates and check on the spread of the viral diseases.

Hepatitis-free Sindh project

Sindh Health Minister Dr Saghir Ahmed on Tuesday said that ‘Hepatitis-free Sindh’ programme would be launched under the three-year chief minister’s initiative on January 15, 2009, adds PPI.

Presiding over a meeting of the steering committee of hepatitis prevention and control programme at his office, the minister said that the government had earmarked Rs2.4 billion funds for the programme under which hepatitis patients across the province would get free treatment while vaccines would be provided to all public hospitals.

The government was importing PCR machines, required injections, vaccines and kits so that free tests, consultation and free blood screening of over 7,000 registered hepatitis patients and other people could be conducted besides provision of free medicines to them, he said.

He directed health officials to establish anti-hepatitis centres in Khairpur, Jacobabad and other districts. Memorandums of understanding would be signed with the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, and the Dow University of Health Sciences to provide this facility to private hospitals under the public-private partnership.

He said Rs800 million was earmarked year-long the first phase of the programme. During the phase, awareness campaign about the disease would also be launched.

He highlighted the need to vaccinate children as a large number of them was reported to be suffering from the disease. He said that education department’s collaboration would be sought in this regard.