ISLAMABAD: Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has warned that the salaries of employees who fail to undergo mandatory hepatitis C screening could be withheld as the government moves to expand testing across the country.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Kamal said hepatitis C testing would be made mandatory for employees of the Ministry of Health, including ministers and other staff members.
He said more than 10 million people in Pakistan are affected by hepatitis C and announced that patients would receive medicines worth Rs68,000 free of charge under the Prime Minister’s Hepatitis Programme.
According to the minister, hepatitis C screening will also be made mandatory for people travelling abroad, while individuals returning to Pakistan after being deported will also be required to undergo screening.
Kamal said every citizen would eventually be required to undergo hepatitis C screening. He added that the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics had provided the necessary gadgets for screening, while screening records had been linked with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
The minister further said a hepatitis C test would be made mandatory for obtaining a national identity card.
He said 17 screening points had been established in Islamabad to provide free hepatitis C testing. Private hospitals would also be provided with screening kits, with the programme eventually expanded nationwide.
Kamal added that the government was writing to all ministries to arrange hepatitis C screening for their employees.
