SRINAGAR: State authorities have approached the central Health Ministry to provide expert assistance to deal with the outbreak of Hepatitis B and C diseases two south Kashmir villages.
Doctors say they found at least 300 people infected with the viruses from among 1200 samples collected from Magam and Sonambrari villages in Anantnag district.
Chairing a meeting of the health department functionaries, junior minister of health, Shabir Ahmed Khan said the government has written to the union health minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad for extending help to contain the spread of the diseases in the area.
An official spokesperson said that a team of doctors from health department and Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura has been deployed for diagnosing the cases and to investigate reasons for spread of the diseases.
The outbreak was confirmed earlier this month after doctors reported six cases of Hepatitis C in the areas of southern valley.
Experts say they are concerned about private diagnostic centers in the area operating in unhygienic conditions and possibly causing infection.
“Most of the chemists, dental clinics and diagnostics centers in the area are violating the norms and operate in unhygienic conditions using unsterilized surgical instruments,” a doctor told a local newspaper.
Last year about 15 cases of Hepatitis B were detected in Kokernag area and it claimed six lives, according to newspaper reports.
