Chandigarh: Thousands of people in Haryana with Hepatitis B and C will soon have better access to care. The state government is opening 10 new Viral Hepatitis Treatment Centres to make it easier for patients to get free screening, diagnosis, medicines, and long-term treatment closer to home through the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP).
Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Sumita Misra, shared this information today. She said the expansion shows the state’s commitment to providing timely and affordable treatment, especially in districts with more viral hepatitis cases.
Once the new centres open, Haryana will have 36 treatment centres instead of 26. Currently, there is one Model Treatment Centre at PGIMS Rohtak, 22 Treatment Centres at District Civil Hospitals, and four at Government/Govt. aided Medical Colleges. The Government of India has approved support for all 36 Treatment Centres under the NVHCP, helping the state improve its Viral Hepatitis care system.
One of the new Treatment Centres will be at ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Faridabad, offering specialised care for the city’s large industrial workforce and insured patients. The other nine Treatment Centres will be set up at Sub-Divisional Civil Hospitals in districts with more Hepatitis B and C cases. These include two in Fatehabad (Ratia and Tohana), one in Narwana (Jind), one in Guhla (Kaithal), two in Karnal (Assandh and Nilokheri), two in Sirsa (Dabwali and Ellenabad), and one in Samalkha (Panipat).
Dr. Misra said the expanded network will let patients get free screening, diagnosis, lab tests, medicines, counselling, and long-term follow-up care without travelling far to big hospitals or medical colleges. By bringing these services closer to people, the initiative should help with early diagnosis, better treatment, and fewer complications from chronic viral hepatitis.
She added that all the new Treatment Centres under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme will be fully equipped to provide continuous patient care as soon as they open. Further, she emphasized that all pregnant women should be tested for hepatitis B to prevent transmission of Hepatitis B from mother to child, and newborns of Hepatitis B positive pregnant women should be administered Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin and Hepatitis B vaccine with in 24 hrs of birth and both of these injections are given free of cost in all District Civil Hospitals of state.
