Punjab has become the first State in the country to introduce injection safety programme by inking a memorandum of understanding with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) which will provide rapid test kits for screening of high risk patients like HIV, intravenous drug users, among others.
Singing the MoU on the World Hepatitis Day on Friday, State Health and Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra said that the FIND will support the State Health Department by providing rapid test kits for screening of high risk patients like HIV patients, IVDU (Intravenous Drug Users) patients coming to OST centres for hepatitis C.
“Punjab Health Department will be introducing RUPs (Reuse Prevention Syringes) in the State so that blood borne infections cannot be spread from one patient to another,” he said.
Mohindra said that now onwards, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the State Health Department will work together in sensitizing general public regarding safe injections. FIND will also provide four Gene Xpert machines which will be installed at Sangrur, Bathinda, Tarn Taran and Hoshiarpur for free testing of viral load among these high risk group patients, he said adding that the remaining districts will be connected to these four centres for viral load testing.
He said that FIND will fund the staff for running these machines.
“With the support from WHO, we are releasing the action plan for injection safety programme, Punjab is the first State in the country where injection safety programme is being implemented in collaboration with WHO,” he said.
Mohindra claimed that Punjab model of management of Hepatitis C is unique and WHO can advocate about our efforts so that a policy or programme at national level be made to address this disease. The Minister has asked the Health and Medical Education and Research Department to prepare a study design with support of PGI to know the exact risk factors of the spread of Hepatitis C so that those issues can be plugged to bring down the burden of this disease.
The staff in Government Medical Colleges and districts has been able to put more than 32,000 patients of Hepatitis C on treatment till a day before, and the cure rate among these cases of Hepatitis C is approximately 93 per cent, which is one of the best currently, he said.
He said that the medicines of Hepatitis C which have a market price of Rs35,000 to Rs50,000 for full treatment are being provided free of cost to patients of hepatitis C in State hospitals.