The pilot phase of the Prime Minister’s Hepatitis Control Program for free testing and treatment has been finalized, with Hepatitis C screening for the general public in Islamabad set to begin tomorrow.
According to details, all individuals aged 12 years and above will be screened through rapid response test kits. In the first phase, testing and result facilities will be available at 12 health facilitation centers. Tests will also be conducted at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Poly Clinic, NIRM, and Federal General Hospital.
Officials said that if the initial test comes back positive, a PCR test worth Rs7,000 will be provided free of cost by National Institute of Health. Patients testing positive in the PCR test will receive six months of medicines worth Rs60,000 free of charge.
They further stated that in light of the pilot project’s results, the second phase will be launched in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, while the third phase will expand screening nationwide.
The federal government will spend Rs34 billion on the Hepatitis Control Program. Officials estimate that nearly 10 million people in Pakistan are carrying the hepatitis virus.
The move is seen as an historic initiative by the Federal govt which is aimed at eradicating the contagious disease and to support the lower stratum of society against diseases which they find hard to fight against.
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