Villagers of Karanpur, Bharuwala and Prahladpur under Khanpur block are panicky following 88 blood samples having been found positive vis-a-vis hepatitis-C in the first week of September. Several rounds of blood sampling have been done, but the results are yet to come. Meanwhile, DM H C Semwal reached the villages and another campaign of blood sampling was done on Tuesday. MlA Khanpur Pranav Champion said that he will urge the CM Harish Rawat to ensure that the state government funds the treatment if the tests prove positive for any of those whose blood is being tested. However, seemingly un-assuaged, the villagers vented anger and staged stir against district health department officials for their nonchalance and also against blood being taken repeatedly in the name of test.
Notably, several rounds of blood sampling camp have been conducted in the Bharuwala, Karanpur and Prahladpur village under Khanpur block of the district recently. Initially, the team from Jolly Grant Hospital conducted the camp and found the test positive for Hepatitis –C in 22 people by primary kit. Thereafter, two rounds of blood sampling were done by the district health department in which 17 out of 29 and 88 out of 263 samples were found positive.
On Tuesday, DM HC Semwal along with a health department team reached the village Bharuwala and Karanpur and conducted the blood sampling of 679 and 200 respectively. Semwal informed The Pioneer that if the blood samples now being tested in the laboratories are found positive the persons concerned will be referred to higher medical centers for treatment. He urged the people to keep the surrounding and themselves clean as much as possible.
Teams of health department from both Dehradun and Haridwar were present during the DM’s programme.
Director, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) Dr Ajit Gariola informed the villagers about symptoms and precautions and urged them to keep patience and not to panic. MlA Khanpur Pranav Champion too appealed to the people not to panic. “With the treatment of Hepatitis –C being costly, I will urge the Chief Minister to fund the treatment of those whose blood samples would be found positive,” he said.