Imphal: Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh on Wednesday launched model Hepatitis B treatment centres at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) and Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in a solemn function held at the chief minister’ secretariat.
The programme was organised by state health society, National Health Mission, Manipur on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day 2021 which is observed under the theme “Hepatitis Can’t Wait”.
Treatment of Hepatitis B and its medicines would be made available free of cost at the model treatment centres. The opening of treatment centres would be helpful in controlling the infectious diseases in the state to a large extent, Biren said.
World Hepatitis Day is observed on 28th of July every year, the birth anniversary of Nobel-prize winning scientist Dr Baruch Blumberg who developed vaccine for Hepatitis B virus, across the world to raise global awareness of the global burden of Viral Hepatitis, he added.
Stating that Viral Hepatitis, being one of the leading causes of death in the world, is recognized as a public health problem worldwide, including India, he informed that National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP) was launched in 2018 with a target to eliminate the infectious disease by 2030. In Manipur, all the districts have at least one functional Viral Hepatitis treatment centre under the programme, he added.
Stressing on the status of NVHCP in the state, he informed that 29,414 people had been screened for Hepatitis B and 35,036 for Hepatitis C so far. Of the total screened, 1,519 were found positive and 1,225 are undergoing treatment. 861 had undergone complete treatment, he added.
Biren distributed 10 portable X-ray machines and 20 multipara monitors consisting of one portable X-ray machine and two multipara monitors each to the district hospitals of Thoubal, Kakching, Bishnupur, Tengnoupal, Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Ukhrul, Senapati, Chandel and Jiribam.
In this crucial hour of Covid-19 pandemic, the portable X-ray machine would be useful in providing friendly services avoiding transports and extra movements of patients for X-ray examinations reducing the chances of getting infected.
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