KARACHI - During first ever screening of patients suffering from hemophilia, a bleeding disorder, for hepatitis B, C and HIV, have revealed the 40 percent positivity ratio of hepatitis C and around two percent of human immunodeficiency syndrome virus among them.
Screening was done on rapid kits, said the statement issued here. A two-day screening camp was set up here at the treatment centre of Hemophilia Welfare Society Karachi (HWSK) located in Nazimabad No 4 area of city in collaboration with Sindh Health Department’s Programme for Communicable Diseases Control - CDC (Hepatitis & HIV) and Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority which concluded.
Raheel Ahmed, a hemophiliac himself, founder and CEO of HWSK told that of 900 hemophilia patients registered with HWSK, 242 were screened for hepatitis B, C and HIV during two days through rapid tests under the supervision of a team of experts from SBTA, Hepatitis, HIV programmes.
Out of them, 91 patients are screened positive for hepatitis C, one for hepatitis B and four for HIV, he added.
He said that screening would continue at their centre to fully screen its 900 registered patients. “These results are shared of only those tested in these two days so far. Majority of positive patients belong to above 15 age group,” he confirmed.
Raheel Ahmed informed that all 242 patients were also administered first dose of hepatitis B with the support of Sindh government.
Earlier, Director Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority Dr Durre Naz Jamal Qazi, Provincial Coordinator HIV Dr Saima Mushtaq Sheikh, Focal Person SBTA Dr Dureshehwar, Dr Munira Burhani, Chairman Medical Board Hemophilia Welfare Society Dr Sarfaraz Jafri, Founder and CEO HWSK Raheel Ahmed, President Anis-ur-Rehman Dr Munira Borhany and General Secretary Muhammad Shahid Dawood cut the ribbon and inaugurated the camp.
Raheel Ahmed said that anti-hemophilia injections for these patients before vaccination were provided by World Hemophilia Federation while cryoprecipitates were provided by Indus Hospital, NIBD and Hussaini Blood Bank. Patients use plasma due to non-availability of anti-hemophilia injections in Pakistan, which transmit hepatitis B, C and HIV to them, he said.
In this regard, the Hemophilia Welfare Society considers its patients to be important for better treatment as well as blood screening and requests the Government of Sindh for further collaboration and ensure provision of anti-hemophilia injections at HWSK treatment centre just like they collaborated with HWSK in this screening drive.
Talking on the occasion, Dr Durre Naz said that hemophilia patients were in dire need of this screening and vaccination which has now been provided by the Sindh Health Department.
Dr Saima Mushtaq Sheikh said that they will continue to cooperate with the society for which Additional Director CDC Sindh Health Department Dr Ershad Hussain Kazmi has also issued special instructions.