On World Hepatitis Day on Sunday, eight centres across the State rolled out free treatment for Hepatitis C. In Mumbai, the civic-run Sion Hospital is among the eight model centres, where nearly 6,000 patients are expected to get the free medication over the next one year.
Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver caused by five known hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D and E. Of these, Hepatitis B and C are known to cause 96% mortality. “At Sion Hospital, we already have medicines for 400 patients. Over one year, we should be able to cater to 6,000 patients,” Dr. Aakash Shukla, head of the gastroenterology department, said.
Hepatitis C requires an 84-day course costing nearly ₹20,000 in private hospitals. “We were treating about 400 patients, but the medicines were procured through funds from charity. Now the medicines will be available free of cost under the government programme,” Dr. Shukla said. With the new drugs, the number of Hepatitis B and C patients requiring liver transplants has reduced by 80%, he said.
The other model centres in the State include BJ Medical College, Pune; district hospitals in Ratnagiri, Parbhani and Nashik; and government medical colleges in Nagpur, Yavatmal, and Aurangabad.
The treatment was rolled out in presence of Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey, State Health Minister Eknath Shinde, public health secretary Pradeep Vyas and World Health Organization representative Dr. Henk Bekedam, among other dignitaries, at the Sion Hospital on Sunday.
Mr. Choubey also launched a toll-free helpline for viral hepatitis and said the treatment for Hepatitis B will be rolled out by December.
