After Mohalla clinics, the Delhi Government has now launched Mobile Liver Screening Van that will provide free liver screening to people of Delhi and NCR. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain inaugurated the Van that was launched under the project "Healthy Liver Healthy Delhi" on occasion of the 20th Hepatitis Day on Monday at the Institute of Liver & Biliary Sciences.
The van will have on-board Fibroscan - a test that assesses stiffness of liver without the need for skin invasion. It will also collect blood from volunteers for liver screening tests for Hepatitis B and C, and other parameters associated with liver diseases. The test is painless like an ultrasound and gives accurate results in a matter of minutes. All these tests will be done free of cost and the public will not have to pay even for registration.
Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister of Delhi Satyendar Jain said that Delhi government is committed to fight hepatitis infection. He said that the government would cooperate with health institutions like ILBS to promote the health and well being of the people of Delhi. He requested everyone to improve their own health awareness.
Minister also informed that the Delhi Government will soon make the remaining two crucial drugs for treating Hepatitis C free of cost, Health Minister .Out of the four drugs available for treating the disease, two are already being provided free of cost by the city government.
ILBS director S K Sarin said children get hepatitis from their mothers for no fault of theirs. "Everyone should be aware and take a pledge to get every new-born vaccinated. And I request the government to make Hepatitis a notifiable disease," Sarin said.