Hepatitis C Patients Across Sindh Suffer Due To Shortage Of Drugs

Karachi - The medicine used for Hepatitis C patients has run out at the Hepatitis Centers of Hepatitis Prevention & Control Program. It has been several weeks since the stock ended, but the Government of Sindh is yet to provide a fresh supply.

 

Due to this shortage the score of new and old registered Hepatitis C patients have been put on hold across the province of Sindh. The Hepatitis C patients registered at the Hepatitis Centers of Civil Hospital Karachi, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Sindh Government Qatar Hospital, Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad and other government hospitals have not received their medicines in over a month, which is causing great hardship for them.

 

Hepatitis C patients from Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and other districts of the province have been visiting the Hepatitis Centers for their medicines but are being asked by the doctors to purchase drugs from medical stores, as these centers do not have the mentioned drug in stock.

 

The shortage of drugs used in treatment of hepatitis C at Hepatitis Centers has badly affected program performance since the treatment of hepatitis patients is very costly and majority of the patients are unable to afford the treatment of this viral disease. The shortage of medicines has puts lives of score patients suffering from hepatitis C at risk.

 

Media Coordinator, Hepatitis Prevention & Control Program, Sindh, Khurram Khan said, “The supply of medicines to Hepatitis Centres across the Sindh province would be started within 15 days.” He explained that hepatitis B drugs are available at the centers and only hepatitis C medicines are not available.