Jain says will bring law against discrimination meted out to hepatitis patients

New Delhi: The Delhi government will pass a law against discrimination meted out to hepatitis B and C patients in society, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said here on Saturday, claiming it will be a first in the country.

The government is planning to make mandatory free screening services and treatment available for hepatitis B and C for pregnant women so that the child does not get infected, he said at the 24th Hepatitis Day at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences.

The minister released a report on 'Hepatitis Awareness Activities', and congratulated the ILBS team for efforts made by the institute over the years aimed at ending viral hepatitis by 2030.

Hepatitis C is easily treatable with a 12-week medicine course, and hepatitis B can also be prevented, he said, adding that two ways by which hepatitis B spreads is from an expecting mother to a child and through blood transfusion.

This can easily be prevented through early detection, Jain added. He said the Delhi government will train Mohalla Clinic staff in screening and treating hepatitis.