Screening of hepatitis, HIV, TB and vaccination of HBV started for hemophilia patients first time in Sindh

Karachi (HRNW)  For the first time, Sindh Health Department’s program for Communicable Diseases Control – CDC (Hepatitis, HIV and Tuberculosis), Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority and Hemophilia Welfare Society Karachi has started two days screening and vaccination of patients with hemophilia in Sindh.

The camp is being held at the Hemophilia Welfare Society Karachi Treatment Center located at Nazimabad No. 4, where a team of experts from SBTA, Hepatitis, HIV and Tuberculosis Programs have been working for screening and vaccination of Haemophilia patients, their parents and other family members. The camp has a screening and vaccination arrangements for 900 patients registered with the society.

Earlier, Director Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority Dr. Durre Naz Jamal Qazi, Provincial Coordinator HIV Dr. Saima Mushtaq Sheikh, Focal Person SBTA Dr. Dureshehwar, Dr. Munira Burhani, Chairman Medical Board Hemophilia Welfare Society Dr. Sarfaraz Jafri, Founder and CEO HWSK Raheel Ahmed, President Anis-ur-Rehman and General Secretary Muhammad Shahid Dawood cut the ribbon and inaugurated the camp.

Founder and CEO of Haemophilia Welfare Society Karachi Raheel Ahmed said that anti-haemophilia injections for these patients before vaccination were provided by World Hemophilia Federation while plasma were provided by Indus Hospital, NIBD and Hussaini Blood Bank. Patients use plasma due to non-availability of anti-haemophilia injections in Pakistan, which transmit hepatitis B, C and HIV to them, he lamented.

In this regard, the Haemophilia Welfare Society considers its patients to be important for better treatment as well as blood screening and requests the Government of Sindh to ensure provision of anti-haemophilia injections in government hospitals like this camp in collaboration with our society, Raheel Ahmed added.

Talking on the occasion, Dr. Durre Naz said that hemophilia patients were in dire need of this screening and vaccination which has now been provided by the Sindh Health Department.

Dr. Saima Mushtaq Sheikh said that they will continue to cooperate with the society for which Additional Director CDC Sindh Health Department Dr. Ershad Hussain Kazmi has also issued special instructions.