PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has requested the relevant authorities in Punjab and Balochistan to supply hepatitis B and C medicines over a delay in procurement by it.

Officials insist the move is meant to ensure the uninterrupted provision of free medication to around 18,000 patients registered in the province.

KP director-general (health services) Dr Shaheen Afridi made the request to her counterparts and project directors for the hepatitis control programmes in Punjab and Balochistan through separate letters.

According to her, the KP health department provides free medicines to patients registered for the Integrated HIV, Hepatitis and Thalaessemia Control Programme. However, ‘some technical reasons’ have delayed medicine procurement causing fears that the treatment of registered patients will be interrupted.

Official says move made to ensure smooth treatment of patients

“The governments of Punjab and Balochistan have been requested to cooperate in this challenging situation,” she wrote in the letter.

The director-general said 189,000 Tenofovir 300mg tablets, 162,000 Sofosbuvir 400mg and similar quantity of Declatasvir 60mg and Velpatasvir 100mg were required for hepatitis B and C patients in the province.

She said the KP health department would be thankful to the Punjab and Balochistan authorities if the sought-after drugs were supplied.

Officials said the drugs in question were mentioned in the approved Medicine Coordination Cell list and the health department should have their adequate stocks to facilitate smooth treatment of patients.

They said the drug shortages and subsequent request to other provinces could have been avoided by timely procurement.

The officials said the drug purchases were made part of the health department’s annual development programme to ensure that the registered patients get drugs and complete their treatment.

They warned that drug shortages could cause misery to the patients as it took longer to float new tenders for buying medicines.

The officials said the hepatitis B prevalence rate in the province was two per cent and that of hepatitis C five per cent, while the pills in question showed excellent results. They said that drug’s consumption was far easier than 72 injections taken by patients and that it had fewer side effects than injections.

The officials said in Jan 2017, KP became the first province to start the single-pill three month treatment regime for hepatitis C through Sofosbuvir tablets consumed orally and that the pill replaced Interferon injections administered for six months.

They said in April, the health department began a three-month medication and that hepatitis C patients received Declatasvir in combination with Sofosbuvir tablet.

When contacted, director-general (health services) Dr Shaheen Afridi said it was normal for provinces to get medicines and other assistance from each other.

“We have medicines but returned some of them to the relevant pharmaceutical company due toshort expiry.Their replacements will arrive soon,” she said.

The DG said the department, in order to ensure uninterrupted treatment of around 18,000 patients, had contacted the relevant Punjab and Balochistan authorities for the provision of medicines and expected a positive response.

She added that the relevant pharmaceutical company would supply the required medicines.

Dr Shaheen said the drug was on MCC list but the procurement process would take three months, so the department was seeking it from other provinces as a stop-gap arrangement.

“We need drugs as a precautionary measure against shortage,” she said.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2022