By Anuj bhalla,Chandigarh, March 10, 2012: Over three hundred people signed an appeal to the government of India to help eradicate hepatitis B from India. Leading international and national hepatologists from 18 countries joined hands with other medical professionals, nursing students and the general public. This drive, spearheaded by Fortis Healthcare, was an integral part of the Fortis International Summit held at J W Marriott.
Explaining the rationale for the drive against Hepatitis B,Dr. Arvind Sahni, and Organising Chairman of FILSand Director, Department of Gastroenterology, Fortis Hospital, Mohali said,“There are40-50 million chronic Hepatitis B carriers in India and the number is increasing rapidly. A very large number of deaths take place every year because of Liver Cirrhosis and Liver Cancer caused by Hepatitis B. The tragic part is that Hepatits B can easily be prevented by ensuring that each child is given 3 doses of the Hepatitis B vaccination. At present, 4 out of 5 babies do not get the three vaccinations. Our plea to the Government is to take this issue up on a war-footing and create a movement quite like the Pulse Polio programme.”
According toCol. H S Chehal, Director, Fortis Healthcare,“As a responsible healthcare organisation, we have taken up this awareness programme to prevent liver disease and save lives. Our appeal is to the Government of India and other voluntary agencies to join hands and eradicate Hepatitis B from our nation and the world.”