HYDERABAD, Jan 28: Sufficient quantity of hepatitis-B and C vaccines and medicines have been sent from Karachi to all hospitals of district headquarters in Kashmore, said Programme Manager of Chief Minister’s Hepatitis Programme, Dr Abdul Majeed Chhutto.

The process of screening prisoners in central and other jails too, had begun, he said with a warning to concerned officials to hand over medicines to deserving patients or else action would be taken against those erring orders. He told this to media personnel on Tuesday.

Medicines worth Rs350 million had been released to all 23 districts of Sindh for providing free treatment to registered people and treatment of jail inmates would begin after the receipt of their PCR reports, he said.

He was appreciative of the interest of CM and Health Department officials as the programme started functioning in two-and-half-month.

He urged the district governments to utilise funds earmarked for diagnosing the disease and creating awareness among the masses.

Extra measures need to be taken in high risk areas of Larkana, Ghotki, Kandhkot, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Kachho and Dadu said Dr Chhutto adding that separate four-bed wards in each district had been established for dealing with the cases of black jaundice.

He warned against injecting anti-hepatitis vaccines before the receipt of PCR report as it may prove fatal.

He said that monitoring officers were authorised to check record and medicines in any district.

He sought the cooperation of media for making it a success like it did in anti-polio campaign.