Thousands risk death by hepatitis in Naushahro Feroze

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http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=150272

Thousands risk death by hepatitis in Naushahro Feroze

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

By By our correspondent

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: Two hundred people have died of Hepatitis in the district over

the last three years and thousands more at risk face death.

Medical Superintendent, Civil Hospital, Naushahro Feroze, Dr Abdul Qadir

Panhwar, told this correspondent that about 500 registered Hepatitis patients

were waiting for medicines for the last 10 months and only 300 patients had been

supplied with the medicine.

He said 33 constables of the police headquarters, Naushahro Feroze, were found

suffering from Hepatitis B and C after 178 samples of police constables were

scanned. About 1,800 police constables remain to be scanned, he said.

He said around 1,000 samples of various villages could not be tested due to

shortage of staff in the Civil Hospital. He said villages including Aacher

Khoso, Dhegano Chandio, Lukar Brohi, Shakar Brohi, Ramzan Brohi, Ghar Gajoo and

Moosa Panhwar were most affected by the disease in the district.

Talking to this correspondent, Abdul Haleem Chandio, a resident of village Laiq

Chandio, said 35 people, including women and children, had died due to the

disease during the last three years and 39 people out of the population of 85

were suffering from Hepatitis B in the village.

Haji Khan Chandio, a resident of village Dhegano Chandio, said seven people,

including women and children of a family, had died due to this disease in the

last three years and 200 people out of the population of 800 were suffering from

Hepatitis B in the village.

Abdul Riaz Khoso, a resident of village Aacher Khoso, said 20 people, including

women and children, had died of the disease during the last three years. Eighty

people out of a population of 200 are suffering from Hepatitis B in the village,

he said.

A survey conducted by this correspondent revealed that thousands of cases of

Hepatitis B and C existed in the district but there was no one to scan them.

People have been left to die and there seems to be no help forthcoming.

There is a dire need that the Health Ministry takes immediate notice of the

situation and sends medical teams to combat this scourge. And a large quantity

of medicine of Hepatitis B and C is also required immediately.

It has been learnt that Rs 1.5 lakh are required for one patientís treatment,

which the poor patients cannot afford and are worried about their dark future.

When this correspondent visited the affected villages of the district, the

villagers complained that they had not received even one tablet from the Civil

Hospital and the tests were also not being conducted free of cost. The tests of

Hepatitis are expensive and beyond the reach of poor villagers.

[Guest guest]

http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=150272

Thousands risk death by hepatitis in Naushahro Feroze

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

By By our correspondent

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: Two hundred people have died of Hepatitis in the district over

the last three years and thousands more at risk face death.

Medical Superintendent, Civil Hospital, Naushahro Feroze, Dr Abdul Qadir

Panhwar, told this correspondent that about 500 registered Hepatitis patients

were waiting for medicines for the last 10 months and only 300 patients had been

supplied with the medicine.

He said 33 constables of the police headquarters, Naushahro Feroze, were found

suffering from Hepatitis B and C after 178 samples of police constables were

scanned. About 1,800 police constables remain to be scanned, he said.

He said around 1,000 samples of various villages could not be tested due to

shortage of staff in the Civil Hospital. He said villages including Aacher

Khoso, Dhegano Chandio, Lukar Brohi, Shakar Brohi, Ramzan Brohi, Ghar Gajoo and

Moosa Panhwar were most affected by the disease in the district.

Talking to this correspondent, Abdul Haleem Chandio, a resident of village Laiq

Chandio, said 35 people, including women and children, had died due to the

disease during the last three years and 39 people out of the population of 85

were suffering from Hepatitis B in the village.

Haji Khan Chandio, a resident of village Dhegano Chandio, said seven people,

including women and children of a family, had died due to this disease in the

last three years and 200 people out of the population of 800 were suffering from

Hepatitis B in the village.

Abdul Riaz Khoso, a resident of village Aacher Khoso, said 20 people, including

women and children, had died of the disease during the last three years. Eighty

people out of a population of 200 are suffering from Hepatitis B in the village,

he said.

A survey conducted by this correspondent revealed that thousands of cases of

Hepatitis B and C existed in the district but there was no one to scan them.

People have been left to die and there seems to be no help forthcoming.

There is a dire need that the Health Ministry takes immediate notice of the

situation and sends medical teams to combat this scourge. And a large quantity

of medicine of Hepatitis B and C is also required immediately.

It has been learnt that Rs 1.5 lakh are required for one patientís treatment,

which the poor patients cannot afford and are worried about their dark future.

When this correspondent visited the affected villages of the district, the

villagers complained that they had not received even one tablet from the Civil

Hospital and the tests were also not being conducted free of cost. The tests of

Hepatitis are expensive and beyond the reach of poor villagers.