Eminent Physician Underlines Needs Of Mass Awareness To Control Hepatitis

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jan, 2017 ) : Eminent Physician and General Secretary Pakistan Medical Association Hyderabad, Dr. Ashfaq Qureshi, said that awareness to masses about precautionary measures against Hepatitis could reduce the numbers of patients.

Talking to APP here on Wednesday, he said that hepatitis has been spreading rapidly in the Sindh that needs swift diffusion of information at every possible level among masses regarding the symptoms, avoidance and proper treatment of the disease.

He said it is an easily controllable disease, but mild lapse in precautions can lead to very disastrous consequences. He said there are two types of viral hepatitis in the country, one is short lived and self-limited, it is because of hepatitis A and E, which spread through feco-oral-route.

He said that the Hepatitis is claiming the live of around 0.12 million people every year in Pakistan and if the authorities concerned failed to initiate sincere efforts, the numbers of death could be raised further.

Hepatitis is cureable disease but due to carelessness of the people among the masses, causing deaths, Dr. Ashfaq Qureshi said and added that by adopting precautionary measures particularly avoiding the used shaving blades, razors, and make-up kits of beauty parlors, unsafe water, unhygienic food, blood transfusion and illegitimate relations.

Dr said that there was also an alarmingly high incidence of liver cancer in the country it was expected to be the most common cancer in the country.

He said controlling of diseases is essential therefore maximum awareness should be created among the people against these diseases.

He urged the people to follow principle of "prevention is better than cure" for protecting themselves from diseases. He said the government is spending billions of rupees on the treatment of hepatitis patients despite its limited resources.

However, creating awareness among the masses can help eradicate the increasing number of patients for which media particularly electronic media can play an important role in this regard, added. Dr.

Ashfaq expressed grave concern over quack doctors, who he said that involved in causing Hepatitis with wrong diagnosis and prescription and termed it punishable offence on charge of playing with the live of the people.

He said that it because of wrong treatment that number of the cases of Hepatitis-D has been increased in the province. During the survey, the number of maximum cases of Hepatitis-B has been found in upper Sindh while the rate of Hepatitis-C is high in lower Sindh, he said.

He further said the Directorate of Health Services is constantly and vigorously perusing this issue on different forums and it has also launched different campaigns & programmes to create awareness about the precaution and prevention of Hepatitis B & C.

Qureshi underlined the need of launching mass awareness campaign at large scale so that the people could be aware of reason, which causing different kinds of hepatitis disease.