326 cases of Hepatitis C traced in 3 years

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 8

A large number of cases of Hepatitis C are being traced in the blood bank during blood donation.

Except for a survey conducted at a village in the district, there has been no assessment over the matter. However, the health authorities are of view that in every village, eight to ten cases can be traced.

In the district, the authorities have found around 326 cases positive with Hepatitis C in the last three years while conducting tests of blood.

In 2015, about 108 cases were found positive with Hepatitis C. In 2014, about 99 cases were reported and in 2013, about 119 cases were found positive with hepatitis C.

To provide financial aid up to Rs 1.5 lakh to poor patients for treatment, the government had rolled out the Punjab Nirogi Kalyan Scheme, however, the Health Department has failed to provide benefit to patients as it claimed that no patient had approached the department to avail of the benefit.

A team of Central Health Department in January last year had visited villages of Bathinda and Mansa to conduct a random survey. The team found a large number of patients in villages of both districts.

Chakk Fateh Singhwala of Bathinda district had 22 patients of Hepatitis C. In Mansa district, two villages —Raipur had 41 patients and Makha had 47 patients who were found positive with Hepatitis C.

In a separate camp organised by an NGO last year, it was found that 15 patients were tested positive with Hepatitis C at Bhagwanpur Heengna village and 40 patients in Phoosmandi village. These villages have a population of 4,000 to 5,000 people.

“Only BPL card holders can avail the benefit of the scheme but no one approached us for treatment. The scheme to conduct blood tests for confirmation of Hepatitis C of all patients free of cost was closed in the month of its inception last year,” said Dr Ramesh Maheshwari in Bathinda.

He said the plan to restart the scheme was in pipeline.

The patients were unable to avail of the benefit of subsidised medicines as they were not available at the Jan Aushadhi Centre in Bathinda.

Bathinda epidemiologist Dr Rajpal said, “Patients are generally unaware of Hepatitis C symptoms and visit a doctor after a few years of infection. Moreover, the symptoms don’t frequently appear in all the patients.”