LGH to launch website on hepatitis awareness

LAHORE : Principal Post Graduate Medical Institute & Lahore General Hospital Prof Dr Sardar Alfareed Zafar has announced official website page for general awareness about hepatitis where public service message (SMS) facility will also be available while necessary material in national language (Urdu) will also be put for guidance.

These views were expressed by Principal PGMI/LGH Prof Sardar Alfareed Zafar while speaking to the participants of the awareness walk held here at Lahore General Hospital for hepatitis.

Prof Alfareed Zafar said it is our collective responsibility to attain the goal of controlling the hepatitis by 2030 and campaign should be launched on the pattern of dengue and polio in which apart from medical representatives, civil society, ulema, media and students should also share their responsibility in this regard.

He stressed that quacks and untrained medical persons should be avoided and proper treatment be taken from the authorised doctors.

Dr Ghias-un-Nabi Tayyab, Dr Israr-ul-Haque Toor, MS Dr Mahmud Salahuddin and other medical experts highlighted the symptoms, complications and their treatment. They said that hepatitis had five different categories for which separate medicines were required. They said that unnecessary injections should be avoided while always new syringes should be used. Similarly, unverified blood transfusion and properly hygienic dentist and hairdresser’s tools be ensured. They advised the citizens to avoid extra medicines and undertake their blood tests twice a year so that any complication could be caught at the early stage.

Talking to the media, Dr Sardar Alfareed Zafar said that proper screening was being arranged in Lahore General Hospital for hepatitis. He said that without collection of proper data it would be a difficult task for patients to control this disease and provide them required medical cover. He said that apart from government non-governmental organisations should also come forward and take effective steps for controlling hepatitis in the society through awareness and other tools.

He specially asked the pregnant women to undertake tests regularly so that coming baby could be saved from this disease. Doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and the general public participated in the walk.