ISLAMABAD: Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said Tuesday that hepatitis C screening would be conducted nationwide and made mandatory for citizens, including government employees, as part of a campaign to identify and treat the disease.
Speaking at a news conference, Kamal said hepatitis C testing would be mandatory for all employees of the federal Ministry of Health. He said his own hepatitis test had also been conducted and returned negative.
Kamal said salaries of ministry employees who failed to undergo the required screening would be withheld. He added that all federal ministries would receive directives to ensure testing of their employees, including ministers.
17 screening points established in Islamabad
Kamal said 17 screening points had been established in Islamabad. Private hospitals conducting screening would also be provided with testing kits and equipment, he said.
The minister said the government planned to expand screening across Pakistan and would also screen people returning after deportation. Screening would also be required before traveling abroad, he added.
He said the screening system was being linked with national identity records, with software developed using census data and equipment provided by the Bureau of Statistics.
Kamal said screening would eventually be linked to each citizen’s national identity card and that people aged 12 and above would be required to undergo testing.
Government to provide free treatment
The minister said about 11 million people in Pakistan were currently hepatitis C-positive, describing the disease as dangerous because it can remain undetected for a long period and may eventually lead to liver cancer.
Under a government program launched by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, medicines would be provided free of charge to eligible patients, Kamal said.
He said screening would initially be carried out in Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan, while a broader nationwide campaign would follow.
Kamal also said all flights would undergo screening-related procedures for three months as part of the campaign.
He urged people to take advantage of the free screening facilities, stressing that hepatitis C can be transmitted through blood.
More read, PMA warns Pakistan faces world’s highest hepatitis C burden
The minister said data from Punjab had not yet been provided to the federal government but expressed hope that it would be shared after discussions with provincial authorities. He said he planned to meet Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to discuss the issue.
