SUKKUR, Oct 12 Hepatitis B and C are fast spreading in Sukkur and adjoining areas as is evident from a large number of the patients visiting the Civil Hospital Sukkur for treatment.

However as there is no polymerize chain reaction (PCR) machine in the hospital of this third biggest city of Sindh, therefore, blood samples are sent from there to Larkana and Mirpurkhas hospitals for reports. And, due to an inordinate delay in diagnoses of this deadly disease, patients have to undergo mental and physical agony.

The medical superintendent of the Sukkur hospital, Dr Zulfiqar Shaikh said that about 800 patients of hepatitis C and 400 of hepatitis C are registered in his hospital.

He said that the Sindh government had been requested for installation of a PCR machine in the hospital but the proposal remained unimplemented as yet.

He said that recently about 300 blood samples of suspected hepatitis B and C patients are sent to Mirpurkhas and the results are expected to be received by January and February 2011. Similarly, blood samples of 100 patients are sent every month to Chandka Medical College Hospital Larkana for analyses, Dr Shaikh added. Hundreds of poor patients do not have enough resources to meet the high cost of blood tests in the private laboratories.

According to medical experts, if a PCR machine is installed at the civil hospital, it will greatly help in mitigating the sufferings of hepatitis patients and save their lives.