PESHAWAR: The provincial health department is unlikely to provide free oral treatment to about 5,000 newly-registered hepatitis C patients as the relevant authorities have not permitted it so far, according to sources.

The health department has sent a summary to KP Public Procurement Regulatory Authority to seek permission for purchase of oral hepatitis C drug to be provided to patients free of cost.

However, the permission has not been grantedand as a result the patients, awaiting treatment, have to wait till next fiscal year.

Sources said that health d e p a r t m e n t started using `Sofosbuvir` oral tablets in place of `Interferon` injection from January owing to which about25 per cent of the patients were tested negative for the viral infection.

Physicians said that many patients did not continue treatment regime of 72 injections because of the side effects and difHculties in receiving it but the pills were completely safe and easy to use.

The department has registered a total of 6,000 hepatitis C patients in the province till Oct 30, 2016. The patients have been getting free Sofosbuvir. However, the department is facing an uphill task to provide free drugs to the new patients because it cannot buy medicines following refusal by KP Public Procurement Regulatory Authority.

The authority has communicated to health department that purchasing new drugs would require a complete process while the department wanted to get the pills as soon as possible. `The province has already followed a complete procedure for purchase of drugs for the old patients and restarting the same procedure would tal(e at least two months,` said sources.

The patients would get complete treatment as well as free diagnostic services. Each of the registered patients would receive 28 tablets a month and 168 for full course of six months.

Sources said that the department would buy 10 per cent more drugs in view of the increasing number of patients. They said that the number of patients suffering from hepatitis B was 2,551.

They would also get free treatment, they added.

Sources said that Hepatitis Control Programme got funds to provide free treatment to patients but lack of permission by relevant authority could deprive people of freetreatment.

According to rules, the chief minister has the authority to allow purchase of drugs. The patients would suffer due to non-availability of me dicines.

Intervention by the chief minister could make their treatment possible, said sources.

They said that re-advertisement for purchase of drugs was not possible because it involved lengthy process of bidding while the department would be able to buy medicines for the new fiscal year starting from July 1. `Therefore, the department wants the government to allow it to purchase the medicines for the patients, who are awaiting their treatment,` said sources.

The physicians fear that condition of the new patients can deteriorate if they are not put on medicines as early as possible. They said that the department should make the drug available to the patients to save theirlives.

They said that the pills played vital role in reducing burden of hepatitis C worldwide and the province was no exception where patients cured successfully.

Sources in health department told Dawn that the patients were getting free tests and drugs at 33 designated health facilities in the province. About two per cent people suffer from hepatitis B and five per cent from C type of the disease in the province and all of them can be treated free of cost if medicines are bought immediately.

Sources said that the pill was not listed in the formulary issued by the Medicines Coordination Cell in August owing to which a separate process was followed to acquire the same that consumed more time.