Jeevan Rekha Scheme gives new lease of life to jaundice patients at PGIMS
Sunit Dhawan
Rohtak, July 27
The Haryana Government’s ambitious Jeevan Rekha project, which has now assumed the form of National Viral Hepatitis programme, is giving a new lease of life to a number of patients of jaundice (Hepatitis A and E) and black jaundice (Hepatitis B and C) free of cost.
To spread awareness about the disease, World Hepatitis Day is celebrated on July 28 every year. The Haryana Government has also directed the authorities concerned to observe Hepatitis Day at all Civil Hospitals, medical colleges and the Model Treatment Centre set up at the Department of Gastroenterology of the PGIMS, Rohtak.
“Haryana was the first state in the country which started a free lifeline scheme against black jaundice and in view of its success, it was adopted at the national level,” said Dr Parveen Malhotra, head, Department of Gastroenterology, PGIMS, Rohtak.
He stated that the state Government was paying special attention to detect black jaundice in pregnant women so that it could be prevented from passing from mother to child, apart from keeping the mother healthy.
“For this, all pregnant woman coming to the hospital are screened for Hepatitis B and those found to have high viral load are given medicines from the seventh month of pregnancy,” the doctor said.
The newborn is also given the first dose of Hepatitis B immunoglobin and vaccine free of cost within 24 hours of birth, he added.
“When the child is one-year-old, he/she is tested for Hepatitis B. The research project/study is being conducted at the PGIMS for nearly four years, and it has been found that the children of 425 of these women were found free from Hepatitis B after one year. This proves that Hepatitis B can be completely prevented from being transmitted from mother to child with Hepatitis B medicines and immunoglobulin,” said the specialist.
He pointed out that the patients of Hepatitis B and C are now being treated free of cost all over the country.
“Under the Haryana Government’s Jeevan Rekha Scheme, the patients of Hepatitis B and C get free treatment at the district hospitals, while the complicated cases are referred to the Model Treatment Centre at the Gastroenterology Department of Rohtak PGIMS, which provides the facilities of endoscopy and fibro-scan etc free of cost,” said the doctor.
Dr Malhotra, who is also in charge of the Model Treatment Centre and member of the high-level committee of the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme, said so far, nearly 9,600 patients of Hepatitis B and around 28,000 patients of Hepatitis C have been treated free of cost.
As many as 37,000 endoscopies and nearly 40,000 fibro-scans have also been conducted free of cost at the department, he added.
“The three main causes of liver damage across the world are alcohol, obesity and Hepatitis B or C, commonly known as black jaundice. To keep our liver healthy, we should not consume alcohol or other intoxicants. To avoid obesity, we should do regular exercise and take healthy and nutritious food. To protect ourselves from black jaundice, we should ensure the use of new needles during treatment,” the expert advised.
About the scheme
Under the state government’s Jeevan Rekha Scheme, patients of Hepatitis B and C get free treatment at district hospitals, while complicated cases are referred to the Model Treatment Centre at the Gastroenterology Department of the PGIMS, which provides the facilities of endoscopy and fibro-scan etc free of cost. — Dr Parveen Malhotra, head, Department of Gastroenterology, PGIMS, Rohtak
