Nagaland joined the rest of the world yesterday in observing the World Hepatitis Day on the theme ‘Test, Treat Hepatitis’ but a health activist pointed out that it was really disheartening to know the National Viral Hepatitis Prevention and Control program has not included Nagaland.

Speaking at the main programme jointly organized by Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS), NUN and Kripa Foundation here yesterday, former president Nagaland Users’ Network (NUN) Ketho Angami grieved for that despite viral hepatitis, particularly hepatitis C becoming an urgent health concern, the health department of the state has failed the patients of Nagaland by not providing any sort of treatment and care support.

The health activist pointed out that it was really disheartening to know the National Viral Hepatitis Prevention and Control program, which was being launched today in Delhi, has not included Nagaland in its programme because of the mere fact that the state’s policy makers had failed to advocate for this at the national level neither has the NHM proposed any sort of such programs in their Annual Action Plan (AAP).

He stated that activists have pushed this burning agenda and flagged the need for the state government to start initiating certain programs but nothing has happened. In his address, the director of health & family welfare Dr Tokuho Chishi agreed that every person deserves the right to a dignified human life. With issues regarding procurement of medicines, he said there were specific requirements such as the temperature conditions in which the drugs should be stored.

He also stated that there were lots of pharmaceutical companies whose drugs although same, their prices differ. Therefore, he said doctors were in no way involved in manufacturing drugs and denied the allegation that doctors were involved in making business out of medicines.