Free treatment of hepatitis patients at MMC discontinues

Rawalpindi:The Localised Hepatitis Elimination and Prevention Project (LHEAP) had to discontinue free treatment being given to well over 580 hepatitis patients at Municipal Medical Centre (MMC) along 5th Road in Satellite Town, the Red Crescent Complex after withdrawal of staff provided by District Health Authority (DHA), Rawalpindi.

The DHA Rawalpindi withdrew all the eight staff members including three women medical officers, one pharmacist and nursing staff deputed at MMC Satellite Town for smooth working of the clinic and for better services delivery to the patients. It is important that Hepatitis Control Programme Punjab, Lahore had registered the MMC as Urban Hepatitis Clinic and DHA provided services of its staff to LHEAP.

The LHEAP project was launched exclusively in Rawalpindi district on July 10 last year initially in four union councils falling under the jurisdiction of Rawal Town that was later expanded to seven union councils of the district including UCs 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, and 116. Under the project, well over 43,000 persons have been screened for hepatitis of which 1528 have tested positive for the infection.

Of a total of 1,528 patients tested positive for hepatitis, as many as 585 were in urgent need of treatment and the LHEAP started their treatment at the MMC, said Chief Executive Officer LHEAP Dr. Anser Ishaq while talking to ‘The News’ on Monday. He added the LHEAP has been monitoring the rest of the patients tested positive as the viral load in their cases are less than 2,000.

He said the LHEAP had to discontinue treatment services being provided to the confirmed patients after July 20 this year because the DHA withdrew services of its staff from the MMC Satellite Town. The LHEAP had been operating the treatment services with the help of staff provided by the DHA and it has no staff at its own for the purpose.

Dr. Anser said the medicines for the treatment of hepatitis patients confirmed by LHEAP have been provided by the Punjab government but due to unavailability of doctors and staff at the MMC, the LHEAP is unable to continue free treatment of the patients. On every visit, the patients need examination and in the absence of staff, it may not be possible for LHEAP to provide medicines to the patients undergoing treatment, he said.

He added the LHEAP has not started treatment of a number of new patients after July 20 this year, after the withdrawal of staff by the DHA. He said the decision taken by the DHA is adding miseries to the lives of hundreds of poor patients getting free screening, testing and treatment at MMC through LHEAP.

Chief Executive Officer District Health Authority Rawalpindi Dr. Asif Arbab Khan Niazi when contacted by ‘The News’ said his office has withdrawn services of staff working in LHEAP on general duty following the orders issued by the Secretary Health Punjab. The health secretary Punjab has ordered to withdraw the staff working on general duty, he said.