– to significantly reduce cost to patients

THE Ministry of Health, on Thursday, officially launched its Hepatitis C treatment programme which will see persons receiving care and treatment for the virus free of cost.

The programme is aimed at reducing the financial burden on patients seeking treatment for the viral infection.

Hepatitis C spreads through contact with contaminated blood, causes liver inflammation, and can sometimes lead to serious liver damage.

At the launch, which was held at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony hailed the day as a historic one for the country as he mentioned that July 28 was chosen for the launch as it is World Hepatitis Day.

Delivering remarks during the ceremony, Chief Medical Officer Dr Narine Singh revealed that there was need for an integrated approach to this public health issue.

Dr Singh said that the launch of the Hepatitis C treatment programme builds on the ministry’s services already in place to reduce the spread of Hepatitis B, inclusive of surveillance programmes and vaccination programmes.

“Now is the time to beat hepatitis… the launch of this Hepatitis C treatment programme is only the first step towards the elimination of Hepatitis as a public-health threat,” the chief medical officer said.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister said that Hepatitis C has always been a challenge for Guyana, as he noted that they have been able to diagnose several patients through screenings at the blood bank.

He added, however, that when the diagnosis was made, those persons were called in for counselling even as he mentioned that much more could not have been done at that time.

“We couldn’t do much more because we did not have the treatment that was available… the cost of these medications was really, really high,” Dr Anthony said.

When looking for solutions to handle this issue, what was found is that purchasing the drugs necessary for treatment would cost approximately US$2,000 per patient.

He revealed that the government then approached the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and was told of the organisation’s strategic fund. Through this fund, PAHO purchases drugs and other items in bulk, which they can get at a reduced cost.

Dr Anthony told those gathered that through the fund they were able to lower the cost to approximately US$160 per patient, which he said was a big drop.

With all of that in place, the Health Minister revealed that they worked quickly to put various systems in place so as to ensure that the programme could be pulled off.

As a result, Dr Anthony said that the ministry has already set aside a room at the National Treatment and Care Centre along with a special day and time so patients who have Hepatitis C can engage doctors and receive treatment.

If needed, he noted that hours can be extended and more clinic space can be added to cater for more patients.

“So, think about this, if we have as we estimated probably 500 to 600 patients, they will now be able to access care, which means that let’s say 10 to 15 years from now, we are going to prevent people from having cirrhosis, preventing some of those persons from having cancer and, therefore, we are preventing these complications that patients would normally have,” the Health Minister expressed.

As the programme is officially launched, the first set of patients will be able to access treatment from next Wednesday at the National Care and Treatment Centre, as he noted that the government has procured medication for approximately 600 patients.