State prepares med colleges to reduce hepatitis cases

Department of Health and Family Welfare has started training staff from a few government medical colleges in the state to bring down the number of viral hepatitis cases.

This is being done in line with the central government’s National Viral Hepatitis Control programme. Under the programme, the department aims to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030. This includes Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E.

Training is being offered to staff of the Microbiology staff in these colleges to work on various aspects including prevention, detection and mapping of treatment outcomes.

According to sources, under the programme, the National Viral Hepatitis Control Management Unit is established with representation from both the central and state governments. National Health Mission will be responsible for the implementation of the programme in the country.

While every state will have a State Viral Hepatitis Management Unit that will coordinate the programme at a state-level, the east district will have a dedicated officer who will act as the nodal officer to oversee supply, training and outreach.

In Karnataka, faculty from Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Mysore Medical College and Research Institute, Nelagavi Institute of Medical Sciences and Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences are being trained for the programme.