Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has not yet provided the list of eligible poor hepatitis patients to the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis, sources told Business Recorder here on Tuesday. Sources said that Pims had so far registered 150 hepatitis patients.
Sharing the details, the sources said that the National Program for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis had awarded the contract to the successful bidder for the supply of interferon injection, 3MIU, along with equal number of disposable syringes, 3ml (BD), and capsule Ribavirin for 1,500 Hepatitis "C" patients as per the provision available in the approved PC-I of the programme, aimed at providing treatment to only eligible deserving/poor viral hepatitis patients across the country.
Following this, the National Program for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis sent a request to all the four provinces to provide them with a list, containing the name of eligible patients.
"According to the list obtained from all hospitals, excluding the Pims, there are a total of 1,500 patients suffering from hepatitis in the country", the sources added. Sources further added that the quota of the interferon injection, allocated to provinces/regions, would be based on population.
According to the sources, the quota of population, selected by the Director General, Health Services (DGHS), there are 535 patients in Punjab, 225 in Sindh, 130 in NWFP, 50 in Balochistan, 20 in Fata, Fana and AJK, 150 in Islamabad, 100 in Karachi and another 150 in Lahore.
To ensure transparency, medical superintendents of concerned hospitals and institutions would provide details of interferon injections' use along with names and test reports and Zakat entitlement certificates to the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Hepititus, said the sources.
After completion of these requirements, the treatment provision of Hepatitis "C" (interferon injections along with Ribavirin tablets and disposable syringes 3ml) will be dispatched to Hepatitis "C" patients and the concerned quarters/institutions.
It was also highlighted that due to the PC-I limitations, the Programme was not in a position to meet the entire requirements of the provinces. Therefore, the Programme needed to be supplemented by resources from Bait-ul-Mal, Zakat and Ushr Departments, provincial and district funds.
To investigate the delay in providing the list of the hepatitis patients to the programme, this scribe contacted the concerned person at the Pims, but he was not in his office and his cell phone was switched off.
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