Doctors must keep the patients informed about the side effects of medicines so that the patients get prepared mentally to fight the disease, opined ESL Narasimhan, Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State, while inaugurating a new hepatitis C portal at Asian Institute of Gastroenterology in Hyderabad.

As patients are unaware of the various side effects of medicines prescribed by doctors, many a times they face lot of problems and tend to go from one hospital to the other and one doctor to the other hoping for best medication and healthcare services. While doing so, the patients not only waste lot of money, but may also become victims of wrong diagnosis. “Many a times, doctors never state the side effects of medicines. It is only after taking them do patients realise the problems. There is a need to look in to all these aspects and give them right guidance so that they can be mentally prepared to fight the disease,” said Narasimhan.

The Governor also urged the medical community and researchers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry to work towards reducing the cost of the medicines further sot that the treatment can be become affordable. He also stressed that all the corporate hospitals should come together and set a common and affordable pricing for diagnostics and treatment facilities so that all sections of people can equal and quality healthcare benefit irrespective of social and economic status.

While talking about prevalence and causes of hepatitis C disease, Dr Nageshwar Reddy, the chairman of Asian Institute of Gastroenterology said that Hepatitis C is an asymptomatic disease and there is very little awareness about it among the population. The virus affects the liver, which leads to chronic liver disease and causes liver cirrhosis and can also develop into liver cancer.

Experts viewed that there are about 15 million people in India affected by hepatitis C. Andhra Pradesh alone accounted to 1.4 to 2.0 per cent cases of hepatitis in the country. The major reasons for the spread of the disease are multiple use of single needle, using the same toothbrush and razor and also pricking of needles for tattoos. One can also contract the disease form the health sector from infected blood, IVF syringes and from re-used injection needles.

The available drugs for treating hepatitis C are also very costly, but of late with government’s initiatives and with increased competition among pharma companies they are available at affordable rates with high level of curing rates.