RAWALPINDI, July 22: As many as 255 patients were tested positive for Hepatitis B and C at Holy Family Hospital (HFH) during the first six months of the year, the head of the pathology department, Dr Abbas Hayat, said here on Monday.

He said a total of 2,851 patients were screened for the disease. The prevalence rate thus comes to nine per cent. The national prevalence rate of the disease is 10 per cent.

Giving details of the tests, Dr Hayat said 1,366 were tested for Hepatitis B, of which 53 tested positive, while 202 had Hepatitis C out of the 1,485 screened.

A study conducted at the Armed Forces Institute of Transfusions showed that Hepatitis C infection, in most cases, was caused due to the carelessness of the medical staff at the health care units.

The study had suggested minimizing all kinds of needle pricks till proper aseptic practice could be ensured at all facilities.

The study had further found out that 64 per cent of the positive cases were between 21-30 years of age. The possible causes through which they may have contracted Hepatitis include blood group testing, drug administration (intravenous and intramuscular injections), dental extraction, surgery, sexual contacts with prostitutes and multiple blood transfusions.

Other identified risk factors include drug abuse, medical employment, unhygienic blades used at barber shops, tattooing and jaundice.

Meanwhile, doctors say use of unsterilized equipment at private clinics and by quacks also cause the spread of the disease.

The treatment of infectious hepatitis has become a multi- billion dollar industry and everyone, associated with the treatment of the disease, are trying to cash in on the situation.

Pathological laboratories are also charging hefty amounts for performing substandard tests. Doctors claim that these laboratories charge Rs1,000 for tests that just cost Rs50.

They said wrong diagnosis by these laboratories made the doctors prescribe lengthy and expensive treatment to the patients, which often resulted in serious consequences.