NAWABSHAH, Jan 7: At least 15 people suffering from hepatitis were admitted to the People's Medical College Hospital and 20 died of the disease at different units of the hospital in December 2003.

Those who died of the disease included Fayaz, Mukesh, Sikandar, Sadiq, Khalid, Atta Mohammad, Mehmooda and Ghulam.

The hospitalized patients included a prisoner of the Nawabshah District Jail. These figures are only from the PMCH. The people living in remote areas are unable to reach the town due to economic reasons and they prefer to go to local doctors, most of whom are inexperienced or quacks.

The health department has failed to take any action against quacks who are continuing practice in different areas and are using the same syringe for more than one patient, one of the causes of the spread of the disease. No programmes to create awareness among the people about hepatitis have been organized in the district for the last three years.

Dr Ali Akbar Jamali of the PMCH said hepatitis virus attacked liver and disturbed its functioning and the patient could also go into hepatic coma. He said the spray of toxic chemicals on agriculture fields, use of unscreened blood, unsterilized needles and injections and chronic liver diseases were the main causes of hepatitis.

Dr Abdul Ghaffar Rathor, who runs a free clinic, said two to three hepatitis patients visited his clinic daily. When contacted, the EDO, health, Dr Bahadur Khero, said the health department had formed a health education cell to create awareness among the people about the disease.

ORIENTATION DAY: Quaid-i-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology vice-chancellor Prof Anwar Ahmad Junejo has urged students to concentrate on academic activities.

He was talking to fourth batch students of various disciplines on the orientation day on Tuesday. Earlier, Prof A. B. Soomro, dean, faculty of engineering, briefed the students about the faculty and facilities available at the campus. He announced that two departments - electronics and energy and environmental engineering - would be introduced next year.