PESHAWAR, Nov 18: The under-construction burns hospital has been converted into a hospital for hepatitis patients.

Addressing a one-day seminar on “Hepatitis Prevention” here on Sunday, District Nazim Ghulam Ali said the decision had been taken in view of the growing number of hepatitis patients.

The seminar, organised by the Committee for Preventive Medicines of the Lady Reading Hospital, was aimed at creating awareness among the people about hepatitis.

The nazim said the 70-bed hospital was nearing completion, adding that it was being set up at a cost of Rs70 million.

The district government, he said, had spent Rs130 million on the replacement of underground water supply lines laid some 30 years ago. He said Rs13 million had been earmarked to provide clean drinking water to the 2.6 million people of Peshawar.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ilayas Saeedi said that treatment for hepatitis-C cost Rs100,000 which was out of the reach of the common man.

The only option, he said, was measures aiming to prevent it. He suggested avoidance of multiple injections and reuse of syringes to apply brakes on the ailment.

Dr Intikhab Alam spoke of hepatitis, its types, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and preventive measures and said that there were five types of hepatitis virus -- A, B, C, D and E.

He added that A and E were caused by contaminated water and food, while B and C were caused by transfusion of contaminated blood and use of un-sterilised surgical equipment.

He said that hepatitis did not spread because of normal interaction and eating together, adding that used syringes, razors, tooth brushes, infected surgical equipment, transfusion of unscreened blood and unsafe dialysis could transmit the disease.

Dr Javed Iqbal Farooqui stressed the need for involving different sections of society to fight off the disease.

He said the Preventive Medicines Committee would identify focal persons in educational institutions and build their capacity by giving them the desired knowledge so they could effectively disseminate the information for ensuring a healthy environment.