France Colony residents to get free hepatitis C, TB testing and treatment

Islamabad : Minister for National Health Services Aamer Mehmood Kiani launched free testing and treatment services for the residents of France Colony here Wednesday.

Visiting the free camp established by the Ministry of Health, Kiani said, “Our government is cognisant of the risk posed to the health of the poor by Hepatitis C, TB, and other infectious diseases and is committed to poverty alleviation.”

Kiani said the Ministry has already inaugurated a Model Center for Infectious Diseases Control in Islamabad Capital Tertiary (ICT). This center is dedicated for the screening, testing and treatment of Hepatitis c patients with integration of other infectious diseases like TB, and has been established in the federal government’s Civil Surgeon Dispensary in G-7/3.

“It will be an innovative center because for the first time the underserved population (of almost 100,000 individuals) living in the slums of ICT will be screened for Hepatitis C and TB at their doorstep and those found positive for hepatitis c and TB will be referred to this center of free of cost testing, treatment and follow-up. The center is equipped with latest diagnostic machines like GeneXpert and medicines which have more than 95% cure rates with almost no side effects,” Kiani added.

The Minister said there is special focus on making Islamabad a model city for health. In this context, Rural Health Centers and Basic Health Units are being revamped to provide quality services to residents.