Central Govt. will bear the entire cost of treatment to cure Hepatitis C disease. This scheme will benefit around 1.2 crore people suffering from Hepatitis C.
This scheme primarily focuses on giving appropriate treatment to the patients and to make it a nation-wide program.
Hepatitis C Free Treatment Scheme
Health Ministry of Central Govt. will screen various vulnerable groups. These groups include drug users and other persons who had undergone surgeries/blood transfusion before FY 2002. This is because the screening procedure was not accurate at that time. Moreover, Central Govt. is talking with several Indian companies which manufacture Sofosbuvir (Hepatitis C drug) to negotiate the price for a national level program.
Hepatitis C Disease
The total number of patients with Hepatitis C is 1.2 crore which is six times the number of patients with HIV / AIDS patients. This disease is caused by a blood-borne virus which affects the liver of a person. The primary reason for its occurrence includes:-
- Usage of Inject able Drugs
- Injection Practices which are unsafe.
- Un-screened Blood Transfusion
- However, this disease is not sexually transmitted like Hepatitis-B.
Till date, there is no vaccination known to cure Hepatitis C. Moreover, a large number of people suffering/infected from this disease develop Liver Cirrhosis or Liver Cancer. Furthermore, as per WHO estimates, this disease causes deaths of approx. 4 lakh people across the world.
As per the WHO guidelines, Sofosbuvir is recommended for the full treatment of Hepatitis C. Punjab state govt. has already started this free treatment scheme back in June 2016. The Annual Budget 2018 of Central Govt. will include the cost to develop state laboratories, purchase of various drugs & other equipment for diagnosis.
