Punjab Primary & Secondary Health Secretary Ali Jan Khan has said that there is a need to work hard with professional zeal by the clinicians and other stakeholders to control hepatitis in Pakistan. He said that this initiative is a challenge for young doctors and other stakeholders in the government.
He stated this while addressing the concluding session of 3-day training workshop for the medical officers inducted for hepatitis clinics being set up at all over the Punjab. So far 58 medical officers recruited in the first phase against 80 positions of medical officers.
The training has been arranged by the Directorate of Staff Development, Punjab Hepatitis Control Program with the technical support of Pakistan Kidney, Liver Institute and Primary & Secondary Health Department. Main objective of the training was to boost the orientation of newly inducted MOs regarding hepatitis. The technical experts of PKLI Dr. Amir Yar Khan, Dr Abdul Nadar, Hafiz Ijaz Khalid, Dr Shabnam Nadeem, Program Manager Dr Zahida Sarwar, Dr Amir Khan and Dr. Saeed Akhtar delivered lectures on the diagnostic techniques, methods and current treatment regimens.
At the end of every lecture, there was a question and answer session. On the concluding day Dr Zahida Sarwar, Dr Maheen Syed, Dr Amina Khan, Hussain Asif, Waqar Khan and Dr Amir Khan from Association for Social Development delivered the lectures covering mainly treatment protocols, standard operating procedures of hepatitis clinics and medical ethics along with priorities of the program, its goals and objectives and achievements.
Program Director Dr. Zahida Sarwar specially mentioned recently celebrated successful hepatitis awareness and prevention week activities, development regarding legislation on hepatitis bill, registration of barbers, hepatitis B vaccination of healthcare providers and other high risk groups like truckers, jail inmates, IV drug users and transgender etc. while addressing the concluding ceremony, Secretary Health Ali Jan Khan expressed his ownership regarding hepatitis control program and further said to extend his full support of the program in future as well. At the end of the session, the ceremony followed