No outbreak, but NMC

The health officials of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) have a reason to be happy on World Hepatitis Day on Friday. There has been no major outbreak of jaundice till now in the city thanks to supply of better quality water. Still the health department will be holding an awareness drive across the city through posters and one to one communication with people in slums to prevent the disease.

"There has been no outbreak of jaundice so far, only some sporadic cases. Still we will be putting up posters near all NMC hospitals like Indira Gandhi Rugnalaya, Panchpaoli hospital, and Isolation Hospital to create awareness,’’ said Dr Rajendra Pradhan, deputy director of health, NMC. This year the NMC water supply department has been taking adequate care to improve quality of drinking water. The department is also testing water from all pockets for chlorination.

Dr Anant Dasarwar, deputy director health services, Nagpur Circle, too told TOI that his officials were regularly meeting gram panchayat members and checking whether bleaching powder was being used in villages. "Random water samples picked up from different villages were put to Orth-toludin test used to check the chlorination. In case the sample gave two positive tests, the gram panchayats were taken to task and corrective measures taken," he said.

However, safe water can only control hepatitis A and E. Other hepatitis forms like B and C transmitted through blood transfusion, surgery, drug abuse, and unsafe sex are more serious. Dr Sudhir Gupta, professor and head, gastroenteritis department, Super Specialty Hospital is more concerned about them. "They can cause chronic liver disease, malignancy or even death. Three percent population is affected by these. But they are treatable if diagnosed in time and correctly. In India, baseline investigations for testing these viruses are never done," he said.