Ensure timely notification of Hepatitis cases: Odisha govt to hospitals

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government today asked all healthcare facilities in the state to take immediate steps for notification of the Hepatitis (Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C) cases at the earliest.

In exercise of the powers conferred under Section (2) (1) of the Epidemic Disease Act-1897, the state government has been pleased to prescribe that all healthcare providers (Govt/Private/ NGO sector) where diagnosis, tests and treatment of patients is undertaken shall have to take adequate steps for timely notification of Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C diseases (screened or confirmed) to the District Surveillance Officers and State Surveillance Officer, said a notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare department today.

Chronic Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C cases are major public health concerns accounting for substantial morbidity, mortality and economic loss in Odisha. These two are blood borne and transmissible viral diseases, said an official of the Health department.

While Hepatitis-C is curable if treated on time for three months, Hepatitis-B requires lifelong treatment. Both the diseases can give rise to liver damage and Hepato-cellular carcinoma (liver cancer) if they remain undiagnosed and untreated, he added.

“The state government is determined to bring down the Hepatitis infectivity and case load to elimination level in a time-bound manner,” said the official.