Will bring law against discrimination meted out to hepatitis patients: Satyendar Jain

New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) The Delhi government will pass a law against discrimination meted out to hepatitis B and C patients in society, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said here on Saturday, claiming it will be a first in the country.

The government is planning to make mandatory free screening services and treatment available for hepatitis B and C for pregnant women so that the child does not get infected, he said at the 24th Hepatitis Day at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences.

The minister released a report on 'Hepatitis Awareness Activities', and congratulated the ILBS team for efforts made by the institute over the years aimed at ending viral hepatitis by 2030.

Hepatitis C is easily treatable with a 12-week medicine course, and hepatitis B can also be prevented, he said, adding that two ways by which hepatitis B spreads is from an expecting mother to a child and through blood transfusion.

This can easily be prevented through early detection, Jain added.

He said the Delhi government will train Mohalla Clinic staff in screening and treating hepatitis.

"We will make sure that free medicines are available there to treat the disease at the primary level. We will devise a mechanism to provide free medicines to patients of hepatitis B in Mohalla Clinics. Additionally, we will bring hepatitis under the notifiable diseases list of Delhi within the next few months," Jain added.

He also said that the government will integrate the test of hepatitis with its upcoming Health Management Information System.

"By this, we will ensure that every health card holder goes through a hepatitis test once in a lifetime," Jain said.

Patients of hepatitis face a lot of discrimination in society, the minister said, assuring that the government will work towards passing of a law against such discrimination meted out to hepatitis B and C patients in Delhi.

Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia said the city government "shall stand committed to the elimination of hepatitis B and C and will welcome any additional policy changes and financial support required by the ILBS to make this program a success".