FAISALABAD-The District Health Authority took out an awareness walk in connection with World Hepatitis Day.
The walk was aimed to raise the public awareness of taking the precautions and understanding the viral disease its its complications.
People can go and get their medical tests free of cost along with appropriate treatment at the govt hospitals, the experts maintained. They said hepatitis B & C were spreading by transfusion of unscreened blood, unprotected sex, use of unsterilised surgical/dental equipment and transmission from infected mothers to their new born babies.
They also highlighted the prevention and cure from hepatitis and said that the disease could be eliminated by educating the people and adopting necessary life style changes.
Deputy Commissioner Syed Ahmad Fawad led the walk while DHA CEO Mushtaq Sipra, DHO Asif Shahzad, Dr Bilal Ahmad, representatives of NGOs and people from different walks of life also participated in the walk.
The walk started from District Council Chowk and culminated at Katchery Bazaar Chowk after passing through Khalique Qureshi Road. The participants were carrying banners and placards inscribed with guidelines on prevention and control of hepatitis.
Addressing the participants, the deputy commissioner said that the purpose of observance of the day was to provide necessary awareness for the people about the disease in an effective manner. He said the district administration had initiated a special campaign to control the fatal disease and therefore a hepatitis control programme was being moved forward in very comprehensive and organised manner.
He said that people follow the quality health principles and adopt necessary precautionary measures to avoid hepatitis and other epidemic diseases. He urged the health authorities to continue the awareness campaign to keep sensitise the people to precautionary measures to avoid the spread of hepatitis.
The CEO said that ample medical treatment facilities were being provided for the patients at govt hospitals while special hepatitis clinics had been set up at tehsil headquarters hospitals for medical tests and treatment of the disease.
They said that awareness seminar and other programmes were also being conducted to apprise the citizens of the precautionary measures and danger of the fatal disease of hepatitis under District Health department. Dr Bilal Ahmad said that hepatitis is known as a silent killer and can only be defeated through proper medical testing.