Sukkur: To raise awareness about Viral Hepatitis and mark World Hepatitis Day, a seminar session was organized by GMC Teaching Hospital in Sukkur on Sunday.
After the walk from the medicine department of GMC Hall, the precipitants joined the seminar aimed to spread awareness about the eradication of Hepatitis. Senior Consultants, Postgraduate residents, staff nurses and paramedics were among the participants.
Professor and Head of Department (HoD) of Medicine Department Unit III, Dr Iftikhar Ali Shah opened the seminar and said that despite of preventative efforts, people are still being infected with hepatitis every day. As a result, he said that the disease has been on the increase in Pakistan, while in the rest of the world, it’s decreasing.
He pointed out people’s ignorance is one of the reasons for the rise of hepatitis in the country. He urged medics to play their role in spreading awareness about this deadly disease and encourage them to get vaccinated
HoD Medicine Unit II Dr Saleh Muhammad Channa
said that about 325 million people worldwide are living with viral hepatitis B and C. “We must take precautions to prevent infection with hepatitis, and those who are Hepatitis B negative must get vaccinated before they are infected”, he said.
Consultant Gastroenterologist Dr Shahab uddin Rind emphasized the importance of prevention, early diagnosis with screening and treatment with antiviral therapy in her speech.
Speakers said that every single individual who belongs to the medical profession should play a role in making people aware of how to prevent hepatitis because if one human is saved, the whole humanity is saved.