KL Report
SRINAGAR
As per the promise of union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, a six member team of doctors from top hospitals of Delhi has arrived here to hold discussion with local doctors on the preventive measures, testing and treatment procedures of Hepatitis-C which has spread in Larnoo block of south Kashmir’s Islamabad district.
The team comprises of Dr B D Athani Medical Superintendent Safaderjung Hospital, Dr S K Acharya, Head of Department Gastroenterology All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr S K Sareen Director Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Dr A S Puri HoD Gastroenterology GBP Hospital New Delhi, Dr Sandeep Tiyagi Army R&R Hospital New Delhi and Dr L S Chahuan, Director NCDC Delhi.
Sources told a local news agency, KNS the team has been sent to the state on the instruction of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
The team has been assigned to look into reasons behind high incidence of Hepatitis-C in south Kashmir areas.
Director Health Service Kashmir, Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman told KNS that till date 776 cases have been found positive in the Larnoo area. “The central team will assess the situation. We can’t afford the costly treatment on our own and that is the reason centre has been approached,” he added.
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court had in March issued notices to Union Health Ministry and the state government directing them to take immediate necessary steps to prevent the spread of Hepatitis C in south Kashmir.
A division bench comprising Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey had passed the orders on a Public Interest Litigation by Syed Aijaz Ahmad Qadri seeking directions for circumscribing the Hepatitis in village Takya Magam of Kokernag.
The court had directed the respondents to provide free treatment and medication to those affected by the disease in the village. The court also directed the state government to take effective measures to prevent the spread of disease in the adjoining areas of Magam and other parts of Valley.
