Govt committed to turn Islamabad into a 'model health city': minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Health Services Aamer Mehmood Kiani on Wednesday said that the current government was committed to turn Islamabad into a ‘model health city’.

Inaugurating a free screening camp for hepatitis B,C and TB at police Headquarters Islamabad, Aamer Mehmood Kiani said that as per the vision of the prime minister, the government initiated multiple projects to transform the federal capital into a model health city and added that ‘hepatitis free Islamabad’ was one of such examples.

According to a statement issued from the ministry, Aamer Mehmood Kiani said that 12 thousand police personnel would benefit from the free facility. He said screening process would help in early detection and quick treatment of the personnel.

The minister said that hepatitis-C is an example where early detection could help in preventing liver cirrhosis, permanent damage and Liver cancer.

He said, “Our Government is cognizant of the risk posed to health of people by hepatitis C and TB including infectious diseases when these diseases affect poor people they are pushed into further poverty.”

The statement further said that the patients detected positive by the screening process would be referred for a gene expert test at the “center for infectious disease”, recently inaugurated by the minister of National Health Services. Treatment for hepatitis-c would be provided at the center.

Approximately 12000 officers and staff of ICT police will be screened for hepatitis, tuberculosis, diabetes, and hypertension.

Pakistan has the second highest disease burden of hepatitis C in the world. Almost 10 million people are affected with hepatitis C in Pakistan.