Generic Medicine to revolutionize treatment of Hepatitis C, says DMCH Doc

Ludhiana, April 30, 2016: In India, generic medicines are expected to revolutionize Hepatitis C Treatment and all across the world as they did in the case of HIV/AIDS, said Dr Rajoo Singh Chhina (Prof & Head of Gastroenterology), who is also Dean Academics in DMCH, while delivering a talk at Virasat Bhawan organized by S Jagdev Singh Jassowal Charitable Trust. People from countries where treatment is being rationalized by the governments, such as in Australia, many European countries, the US and Canada, already come to India to get treated and this trend is likely to continue.
India has over 40 million Hepatitis B infected patients, second only to China, and most people with chronic Hepatitis B or C are unaware of their infection, putting them at serious risk of developing liver failure and cancer which is life threatening. These words were expressed by Dr Rajoo Singh Chhina
According to Dr Chhina, Hepatitis B and C are one of the most common causes of liver disease in North India and hepatitis B vaccination should be done for people of all age groups. Hepatitis C, a common cause of liver disease in India can cause serious chronic liver disease. Research studies have shown that approximately 6,00,000 patients die every year from Hepatitis B infection and 12 million people are infected with Hepatitis C in the country. Proper national policies relating to screening and referral for Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C have to be developed, stated Dr Rajoo Singh Chhina.
Lack of awareness about the disease and its treatment, coupled with the fact that it has no visible symptoms in its early stages, has contributed to its spread in Northern India. As one out of every 12 persons is suffering from Hepatitis virus in world, the ratio is quite alarming in the state of Punjab, where one out of every 16 people suffer from Hepatitis disease. Expressing a deep concern, Dr Chhina believed that the region's main problem is that of intravenous drug users, quackery and the use of the low quality disposable needles as in the country recycling of needles is a common practice. Other sources of spreading of Hepatitis B virus is through the transmission of infected blood, unprotected sexual contact with an infected person and from an infected a mother to baby.
He added that now-a- days treatment in the form of antiviral drugs like Interferon and Ribavirin are available for patients. But still prevention is the best medicine which should be adopted.