|
* Lack of awareness behind fast spread of disease
* HFH registrar says even healthcare officials think they are not at risk
By Terence J Sigamony
RAWALPINDI: Prevalence of hepatitis B and C in the city is higher than many other parts of the country, says a senior health expert. Talking to Daily Times in an exclusive interview, Dr Zahid Mahmood Minhas, senior registrar of Department of Medicines at Holy Family Hospital (HFH), said an estimated 17 percent population of the city was suffering from hepatitis C and B.
This estimate, he said, was based on findings of the medical camps that the hospital officials had been setting up in different parts of the city over the last two years. He said 455 out of 11,673 people tested positive for hepatitis B and 2,032 for hepatitis C at five camps. Minhas said awareness of hepatitis should be created in society because its treatment at private hospitals was costly where a patient was charged Rs 50,000-60,000 for a six-month course.
Transmission of disease: He said major route of hepatitis C transmission was parenteral and abuse of intravenous drugs was the major cause of this infection. Transfusion of blood and blood products, transplantation and hemodialysis were other routes of transmission of this disease, he said. “We have laws in Pakistan to prevent this spread but they are unfortunately ignored at some facilities,” he said.
He said Hepatitis C or B was not transmitted by hugging, shaking hands, preparing food or sharing a swimming pool with the patient. “It can be transmitted through sharing razors or toothbrushes, body piercing instruments or abuse of intravenous drugs,” he said.
Pre-vaccination screening was unnecessary in children, but it was necessary for adults given the high prevalence of the disease in the society, he said. The disease could be prevented through vaccination at an early stage, he said.
Level of unawareness: Minhas pointed out that it was a misconception that vaccination was necessary only in high-risk groups. He said only 49 percent healthcare workers and 42.20 percent medical students were vaccinated. High cost of vaccine and unawareness were the causes behind this less ratio of vaccination as 33.7 percent medical students thought that they were not at risk, he said, adding 36.4 percent nurses, 38.6 percent laboratory workers and 33.2 percent paramedics were prone to the disease.
Scope of disaster: Separately, data collected by District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital and Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH) showed that 1,368 out of 10,449 people tested positive for hepatitis B and C in 2007, while 767 out of 6,501 people tested positive for this disease in the first six months of 2008.
According to a report compiled by Pakistan Research Council on Water Resources (PRCWR), 10 million Pakistanis are suffering from hepatitis C and five million from hepatitis B. Most cases are reported in poor areas like interior Sindh, southern Punjab, southern NWFP and Sialkot.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk
 |
News 
Subscribe to this comment's feed