Calling hepatitis a serious challenge, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday urged Members of Parliament to spread awareness about liver disease amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Hepatitis is a condition of severe inflammation of the liver tissues that could even result in fatality.
Observing that liver care during the difficult times of Covid-19 is important, Birla said it was the lawmakers’ duty to sensitise people and make the fight against the pandemic a mass movement.
“Hepatitis is a serious challenge that can be overcome only with collective effort and resolve. For this, the role of public representatives, especially MPs, becomes crucial,” Birla said on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day on Tuesday.
He was chairing the ‘Empathy Conclave 2020’, organised by the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at the Parliament House.
The theme of this year’s event was ‘Keep your liver safe in times of Covid-19.’ He hoped a vaccine for it would be discovered soon while Union Health Minister HarshVardhan said the government had announced a Rs 15,000 crore package to deal with the coronavirus crisis.
Earlier, Dr Sarin said that health of the live was directly linked to many diseases, like diabetes, hypertension and heart ailments, thus it was extremely important to take care of the liver.
“If one is on medications for chronic hepatitis during this time, they must ensure that they have adequate stock for an extended period of time. The stocking up is important during uncertain times of lockdown as skipping a day's medicine can flare up the virus and increase liver damage risk,” said Dr Dinesh Kini K Director - Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Sakra World Hospital.