Med Centers to Notify Hepatitis B & C Immediately in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government declared Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C as notifiable diseases on Friday.

All healthcare facilities in the state were directed to take immediate measures for notification of the Hepatitis (Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C) cases at the earliest.

In exercise of the powers conferred under Section (2) (1) of the Epidemic Disease Act-1897, the state government has been pleased to prescribe that all healthcare providers (Govt/Private/ NGO sector) where diagnosis, tests and treatment of patients is undertaken shall have to take adequate steps for timely notification of Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C diseases (screened or confirmed) to the District Surveillance Officers and State Surveillance Officer, said a notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare department today.

Chronic Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C cases are major public health concerns accounting for substantial morbidity, mortality and economic loss in Odisha. These two are blood-borne and transmissible viral diseases.

Hepatitis C is curable if treated on time for three months. But Hepatitis B requires lifelong treatment.

Both diseases can give rise to liver damage and Hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) if they remain undiagnosed and untreated.