Dr Benchilo Ngullie
Dimapur, July 24 (MExN): District Nodal Officer for NVHCP Dimapur, Dr Benchilo Ngullie has said that treatments for Hepatitis are being made available for free to the public.
She was speaking during a programme organised ahead of World Hepatitis Day observed by Chief Medical Officer Dimapur along with National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) and ARK Foundation under the theme 'It’s time for Action' today.
The speaker highlighted that screening for Hepatitis B and C are available at all Health and Wellness Centers in Dimapur, with diagnosis and treatment services offered at District Hospitals, stated a press release from CMO Dimapur.
The nodal officer said that vaccines for hepatitis B are now available in private health facilities and everyone should get vaccinated and for high risk groups, they can avail free of cost from government health facilities.
Speaking about the disease, Ngullie said that among the five types (A, B, C, D, and E), Hepatitis E poses greatest risk to pregnant women, elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
Dr Ngullie noted that in some cases, hepatitis B and C infections may resolve on their own without harming the host.
However, in some cases, she added that without treatment it may cause cirrhosis and even lead to liver cancer.
Ketho Angami, ARK Foundation said that people infected by Hepatitis today are living in a privileged time as few years back the treatment for Viral Hepatitis was painful and expensive.
Before the development of oral treatment, only injectable drugs were available for viral hepatitis which was painful to administer, expensive, and comes with a lot of side effects, Angami maintained.
Currently, oral medications with minimal side effects and high cure rates are available for Hepatitis treatment, free of cost.
Despite the free provision, he expressed concern that our communities are not taking full advantage, primarily due to a lack of personal responsibility for their own health and well-being.
“Even those receiving treatment under government programs through various NGOs, often need to be persuaded and accommodated with convenient treatment options,” Angami pointed out.
He further warned that hepatitis C virus is highly resilient, capable of surviving for extended periods outside the human body. He urged healthcare providers to exercise extra caution and maintain sterile environment for all patients, as the virus can spread easily.
Angami also noted that due to the rise in sunflower drug users, viral hepatitis cases are expected to increase, primarily due to the sharing of needles, spoons, or cotton.
To prevent the spread of hepatitis, he emphasised the importance of intensifying awareness programmes and implementing screening for early detection and treatment.
Meceivinuo, District Programme Manager for District Integrated Strategy for HIV & AIDS (DISHA) chaired the programme. In her welcome address, she stressed on the importance of working together to fight against Hepatitis by spreading awareness on Hepatitis, and its preventive and treatment methods.
