LAHORE, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar has said that every Pakistani should come forward and play his role in complete elimination of Hepatitis from the country as government alone cannot fight the menace.
Addressing a ceremony in connection with the ‘World Hepatitis Day’ at the Governor’s House here on Saturday, he said it was very important to spread awareness about Hepatitis prevention in the society and the provision of clean drinking water can reduce the spread of Hepatitis considerably.
Provincial Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Wife of Governor Punjab, chairperson Sarwar Foundation Begum Parveen Sarwar, Country Head WHO Dr. Palitha Mahipala, and Project Head Punjab Hepatitis Control Program Dr Khalid were present among others.
Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said he would like to pay tribute to all government and welfare organizations including the ‘Punjab Hepatitis Control Program’ and Sarwar Foundation for their efforts to prevent Hepatitis in the province.
He also announced that Sarwar Foundation launch the “Hepatitis Free Balochistan” programme after Hepatitis Free Punjab.
Governor Punjab said Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority had started working on more than 1500 projects in Punjab to provide clean drinking water to the people and by the end of this year, clean drinking water will be provided to about eight million people of Punjab.
Provincial Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid, addressing on the occasion said that the government was providing free medicine to the ‘registered Hepatitis patients’, adding that the main purpose of observing World Hepatitis Day was to raise awareness regarding the prevention of Hepatitis and provide treatment facilities to Hepatitis patients.
She appreciated the efforts of Begum Parveen Sarwar and her team for Hepatitis prevention and control.
Chairperson Sarwar Foundation Begum Parveen Sarwar, said Sarwar Foundation was the very first charitable organization of Punjab that launched the Hepatitis Free Punjab campaign and now 16 organizations were working in collaboration for this initiative.
She said Sarwar Foundation hospitals in Rajana and Chichawatni had Macro-Elimination Hepatitis Centers that were providing free screening, PCR testing and medicines to Hepatitis patients.
She further said over three lac Hepatitis ‘C’ patients and over 30 thousand Hepatitis ‘B’ patients had been treated for free whereas 24 lac people were screened for free to date.
Parveen Sarwar said her organization was also striving to eliminate Hepatitis from Punjab through the provision of clean drinking water, adding that Sarwar Foundation was the largest provider of clean drinking water in Pakistan providing safe drinking water to over 2.2 million people on a daily basis.
Country Head WHO Dr. Palitha Mahipala said the efforts of the provincial Health department were appreciable in Hepatitis prevention and control in Punjab and assured that the WHO will provide full support in this regard until Hepatitis was eliminated from Punjab and Pakistan.
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