Haryana to get Hepatitis C centre

Haryana will soon have a well-equipped Hepatitis C Management (HCMC) Cell for providing latest treatment to patients. The cell will be established at an estimated cost of R10 crore and a proposal in this regard was approved by the chief minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Haryana will soon have a well-equipped Hepatitis C Management (HCMC) Cell for providing latest treatment to patients.

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The cell will be established at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore and a proposal in this regard was approved by the chief minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

A spokesman of the Haryana Health Department said the decision was taken following surveys conducted under the expert guidance of Social and Preventive Medicine Department (SPM) of PGIMS, Rohtak.

The first such survey to detect those suffering from Hepatitis C was carried out in 78 villages, 17 wards and three colonies in Ratia in Fatehabad district from February 13 to 25,2012. The samples were taken on a voluntary basis from suspected carriers of Hepatitis C. These samples were tested in the microbiology laboratory at PGIMS, Rohtak.

Of the 7,533 samples collected, 1,630 were found positive while the rate of incidence was 0.74%. The second such survey was conducted in February 2013 in Durana village and Jind district. The was carried out in March 2013 in Roheru village of Kaithal district.

At Durana village, of the 207 samples, 89 were found positive, pegging the rate of incidence at 1.4%. Similarly, in Roheru, of the 342 samples, 107 were found positive while the rate of incidence was 1.37%.

The spokesperson said Rs 50 lakh has been sanctioned to purchase PCR machine and complete infrastructure at PGIMS, Rohtak.

The sanction has been granted to have three contractual posts for complete line listing of cases and line of management at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Ratia — a medical officer (M.D. medicine) as nodal officer, one microbiologist and one lab technician. Also, the sanction was granted for upgradation of laboratory at CHC Ratia.

A budget of Rs 12.08 lakh was sanctioned for reagents and other material required for tests. He said that Rs 5.20 crore has been sought for procurement of medicines too.