Hepatitis B shadow over Tamenglong, one dead, 28 positive
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 25 2012:
Following the death of a young girl and the detection of 28 Hepatitis B positive cases in Noney and its surrounding villages in Tamenglong district, the State Health Service Department is all set to hold a widespread awareness programme at the said district.
During the programme which is slated to be conducted soon, family members of the positive persons would also be tested for the virus which causes Hepatitis B and which normally attacks the liver.
Tamenglong district has for long been regarded as the most backward district in the State.
Health Department Director Sh Shurchandra Sharma said the medical officer of the Primary Health Centre, Noney in Tamenglong district reported last month that 16 persons from Noney and its surrounding areas tested positive for Hepatitis B .
Following this, the department further collected blood samples from four among the 16 and examined the samples at the State-run Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences on March 28 for further confirmation and the same also tested positive, Sharma said in a statement.
On April 3, a large number of civil and anti-drug bodies Zeliangrong Students Union, Manipur (ZSUM), All Manipur Anti-Drug Association ( Amada), Inpui Naga Studnets' Union ( INSU) and two prominent private diagnostics units organized a medical camp at Noney and Tupul village.
Specialists from the Centrerun Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Jnims as well as the Chief Medical Officer of Tamenglong spoke in depth on the disease which is threatening to take on an epidemic scale, the statement said.
During the camp, 281 blood samples were again collected and out of them 12 were found positive for Hepatitis B, it said adding that the prevalence of the epidemic in the area was slightly above the normal range, "As a preventive measure, the Medical Directorate is planning to launch a widespread awareness programme in Tamenglong district.
There will be counselling session of the positive cases by a group of experts during the camp," the statement said.
Further arrangements for testing the family members of the positive persons have also been taken up, added the statement.