RAWALPINDI: As many as 48 new hepatitis cases have been detected during a door-to-door campaign in four union councils of the garrison city that took the number of patients in the area to 88.

Last month, 200 patients had been detected in Khayaban-i-Sir Syed area.

A hepatitis free programme has been launched in Rawalpindi district by the District Health Authority in collaboration with the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination.

The aim of the programme is to create awareness among the public about the deadly virus as well as to find the volume which is to be investigated in order to prevent it as well as develop the best course of action to contain its spread in the future.

Director Health Dr Anser Ishaq told Dawn that in the last three days 48 patients of hepatitis B and C were detected while 593 people were vaccinated against hepatitis. He said total 88 patients had been detected in the campaign from August 1 to August 10.

He said medical treatment of the patients had also started free of cost and the drive will continue for three months.

`We will provide vaccination and other medicines with consultancy of senior medical practitioners without any charges,` he said.

He said 80 people had been recruited, including vaccinators and dispensers, and their training was completed last week.

He said under Local Hepatitis Elimination and Prevention Project, primary healthcare unit had also been established at the Municipal Medical Centre, 5th Road, Satellite Town.

He said the medical care centre works from 8am to 8pm and is being run by qualified primary healthcare physicians.

`In this centre, 14 beds are also allocated for emergency patients while an ambulance is available for patients,` he said.

In connection with the international hepatitis day, a seminar and training session is also being organised on August 15 at a hotel in Islamabad, he added.-Aamir Yasin