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Week Ending: April 2nd, 2005
Alan Franciscus
Editor-in-Chief
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This Issue:
• Acetaminophen, When Taken as Directed, Appears Safe for Patients with Liver Disease
• Willie Nelson in hepatitis C PSA
• Role of Anti-Hepatitis C Virus Treatment in Patients with B-Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and HCV Infection
• Bayer Enhances the Sensitivity of Its Automated Immunoassays for Hepatitis B and HIV
• CCR5 Antagonists Unlikely to Aggravate Hepatitis C Infection, French Study Reports
• MPs Demand Hepatitis C Action
• Fletcher's Motion to Force House Vote on Hep C Compensation
• Roche Initiates Trial in Post-Transplant Hepatitis
• DeWitt Suing over Hepatitis C Infection
• Hepatitis C Caring Ambassadors Program Launches Online Activist Resource Center
• Hepatitis C and Health-Related Quality of Life
• Blood Transfused without Testing for HIV, HBV
• Firing Man for Being Hepatitis C Carrier Illegal, Court Rules
March 17th, 2005
Acetaminophen, When Taken as Directed, Appears Safe for Patients with Liver Disease
FT. WASHINGTON, PA -- March 17, 2005 -- Contrary to common perception, clinical data demonstrate that acetaminophen is an appropriate pain relief choice for patients with chronic liver disease. According to a systematic literature review of the data, which is published in the current issue of the American Journal of Therapeutics, there is no evidence that acetaminophen at therapeutic doses aggravates liver disease.
Studies showed that patients with liver disease are able to metabolize acetaminophen appropriately. The review article concludes that acetaminophen at recommended doses, when taken as directed, can be used safely in patients with liver disease and is a preferred analgesic because it lacks the gastrointestinal toxicity, renal toxicity, and inhibitory actions on platelet aggregation associated with aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).(1)
"The results of this review refute the popular misconception that liver disease patients should avoid using acetaminophen to manage their pain," said lead author Dr. Gordon Benson, Professor Emeritus, Department of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. "Liver toxicity with acetaminophen appears to occur only in those who consume an overdose of the drug."
The studies included in the systematic literature review demonstrated:
- Administration of the maximum recommended dose (4 g / d) of acetaminophen for 13 days to 20 patients with stable chronic liver disease did not result in any evidence of toxicity.(2)
- In patients with chronic hepatitis C, administration of acetaminophen (3 g/d for seven days) did not affect serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (a common liver function test).(3)
- Repeated administration of the maximum recommended acetaminophen dose for over five days to six patients with chronic liver disease did not lead to accumulation.(4)
- Available studies in patients with chronic liver disease have shown that although the half-life of acetaminophen may be prolonged, cytochrome P-450 (CYP2E1) enzyme activity is not increased and glutathione stores are not depleted to critical levels in patients taking recommended doses.
Alcohol-associated acetaminophen hepatotoxicity has not been reported in prospective studies of alcoholics taking therapeutic doses of acetaminophen.
To date, there have been no prospective studies evaluating use of acetaminophen in chronic drinkers with underlying liver disease.
"These study data provide a better understanding of how patients with liver disease are able to metabolize acetaminophen, without increased risk of hepatotoxicity," said Dr. Benson. "For liver disease patients who don't want to risk the side effects of NSAIDs, acetaminophen is a superior pain management choice."
Acetaminophen is a commonly used analgesic/antipyretic that is recommended for management of mild-to-moderate pain and fever. It has been available without a prescription for almost 50 years in the United States.(5) It is widely accepted that acetaminophen is safe and well tolerated at recommendeddoses. Its analgesic and antipyretic efficacies are generally considered equivalent to those of aspirin. (6)
References:
(1) Benson GD, Koff RS, Tolman KG. Therapeutic use of acetaminophen in patients with liver disease. Am J Ther. 2005; 12(2): 133-141.
(2) Benson GD. Acetaminophen in chronic liver disease. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1983;33:95-101.
(3) Dargere S, Collet T, Crampon D, et al. Lack of toxicity of acetaminophenin patients with chronic hepatitis C: a randomized controlled trial. Gastroenterology. 2000;118:A947.
(4) Benson GD. Acetaminophen in chronic liver disease. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1983;33:95-101.
(5) Prescott LF. Paracetamol: past, present and future. Am J Ther. 2000; 7:143-147.
(6) Benson GD, Koff RS, Tolman KG. Therapeutic use of acetaminophen in patients with liver disease. Am J Ther. 2005; 12(2): 133-141.
SOURCE: McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals
*Note: McNeil Pharmaceuticals is the maker of Tylenol
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March 20th, 2005
Willie Nelson in hepatitis C PSA
SourceURL:http://www.newkerala.com
[Hollywood / Entertainment News]: AUSTIN, Texas, March 20 : Singer Willie Nelson is appearing in a public service announcement to prevent hepatitis C -- the most common blood-borne infection in the United States. "It's a great cause," Nelson told the Austin American-Statesman." Anything I can do, I'm glad to do."
Hepatitis C, which can go undetected for many years and be deadly, infects nearly five times as many people as the HIV virus in the United States. Julia Spears, the wife of Nelson's bass player Bee Spears, is the executive producer of the public service announcement. She created the Julia Spears Foundation after she was diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2001, decades after she was infected from what she called a brief encounter with drugs in 1968.
More than half of the 4 million people who have hepatitis C in the United States don't know they have it -- it is spread by blood-to-blood contact -- with about 80 percent of people being exposed through shared needles. However, exposure can occur from sexual intercourse, long-term kidney dialysis, shared toothbrushes and razors, blood transfusions and organ transplants before July 1992 as well as tattooing or body piercing.
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Role of Anti-Hepatitis C Virus Treatment in Patients with B-Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and HCV Infection
SourceURL:http://www.xagena.it/
Hepatitis C virus ( HCV ) plays a role in the development of both hepatocellular carcinoma and B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma ( B-NHL ).
A multicenter study, coordinated by D Vallisa, Department of Oncology and Hematology, G. da Saliceto Hospital, Piacenza ( Italy ), evaluated the role of antiviral ( anti-HCV ) treatment in B-NHL associated with HCV infection.
Thirteen patients with low-grade B-NHL, characterized by an indolent course, and carrying HCV infection were enrolled on the study.
All patients underwent antiviral treatment with PegInterferon and Ribavirin.
Twelve patients were assessable for response.
The median follow-up was 14 months.
A complete hematologic response was documented in 7 ( 58% ) patients, a partial response in 2 (16%).
Two patients had stable disease with only one patient experiencing progression of disease.
Hematologic responses were associated to clearance or decrease in serum HCV viral load following treatment ( P = .005 ).
Virologic response was more likely to be seen in HCV genotype 2 ( P = .035 ), while hematologic response did not correlate with the viral genotype.
Two patients, one of whom achieved complete response, discontinued treatment because of side effects.
This study provides a role for antiviral treatment in patients affected by HCV-related, low-grade, B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2005
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March 21st, 2005
Bayer Enhances the Sensitivity of Its Automated Immunoassays for Hepatitis B and HIV
SourceURL:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Bayer Diagnostics (a division of Bayer HealthCare) has increased the sensitivity of its automated HBc Total and HIV 1/O/2 assays for use on the ADVIA Centaur® Immunoassay System to improve laboratories' detection capability for Hepatitis B and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections.
The HBc Total assay indicates whether a patient has been exposed to or infected by the Hepatitis B virus which can lead to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis or primary liver cancer. The HIV 1/O/2 assay is used to detect infection by various strains of the HIV virus (HIV-1, HIV-1 Group O and HIV-2) which are associated with the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
A revised cut-off point of 0.5 Index has been set for the new HBc Total assay, eliminating the 'equivocal zone' in which results might be subject to varying interpretation when using the previous method. Analytical capacity has been improved from 0.5 - 0.6 PEI IU to 0.2 PEI IU at the cut-off. 100% clinical sensitivity and 99.75% clinical specificity have been established in EU clinical trials, making the assay suitable for the detection of both acute and chronic Hepatitis B infections.
The HIV 1/O/2 assay has been enhanced to increase its sensitivity to HIV-1 group O and HIV-2 in patient samples, reducing the risk of false negative reactions.
Both these enhanced assays can be run in random access mode alongside all other analytes on the high-throughput ADVIA Centaur® Immunoassay System, allowing laboratories to deliver a rapid testing service with absolute confidence in the accuracy of results.
Further information about the enhanced HBc Total and HIV 1/O/2 methods for the ADVIA Centaur® Immunoassay System is available from Fiona Howe on 1635 566248 (fiona.howe.fh@bayer.co.uk).
http://www.bayer.co.uk
ADVIA Centaur is a trade mark of Bayer HealthCare LLC
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CCR5 Antagonists Unlikely to Aggravate Hepatitis C Infection, French Study Reports
SourceURL:http://www.aidsmap.com
People with HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) coinfection may be able to take advantage of treatment with the new generation of HIV chemokine antagonists now in development, according to the results of a French study published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. The study found that density of the CCR5 chemokine receptor on CD4+ cells was not correlated with the severity of liver damage in coinfected patients, suggesting that downregulating CCR5 expression with drugs in order to prevent HIV entry into cells may not worsen the prognosis of people with HIV/HCV coinfection.
There has been considerable speculation that CCR5 antagonists might not be suitable for use by people coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C, and clinical trials of HIV chemokine antagonists under development by Pfizer, Schering Plough and GlaxoSmithKline plan to exclude people with HIV/HCV coinfection because of this fear. The concern is due to evidence that individuals with the delta 32 deletion in the CCR5 gene (which leads to little or no expression of the CCR5 receptor on the cell surface) have a higher prevalence of HCV infection, higher HCV viral load, higher ALT levels and greater liver fibrosis than people without this polymorphism.
However the CCR5 receptor may also play a role in the HCV disease process, through recruiting T-lymphocytes to the liver, where they are involved in the clearance of HCV during acute infection (a possible explanation for the higher prevalence of HCV in people homozygous for the CCR5-delta 32 deletion) and the generation of hepatic lesions in chronic HCV infection.
People with high CCR5 densities on T-lymphocytes might fight HCV infection more effectively, so the researchers set out to determine whether there are differences in hepatitis C disease severity in HIV/HCV coinfected patients according to levels of CCr5 expression on T-lymphocytes.
Flow cytometry was used to count CCR5 molecules on the surface of T-lymphocytes in 51 HIV/HCV coinfected patients recruited at the University Hospital of Montpellier in France. These were correlated with severity of liver disease.
Patients had a median duration of HCV infection of 18 years, as estimated by severity of liver disease and history of injecting drug use, and a median HCV viral load of 7.9 x 105 IU/ml. Sixteen per cent had no fibrosis, 43% had stage 1 fibrosis, 23% had stage 2 fibrosis, 12% had stage 3 fibrosis and 6% had cirrhosis. The median CD4 cell count was 329 cells/mm3 and 86% were taking antiretroviral therapy at the time of sampling.
No correlation was found between CCR5 density and HCV viral load, nor with ALT and AST levels. There was also no correlation between CCR5 density and fibrosis severity, speed of fibrosis progression or liver inflammation.
The researchers also looked at the stability of CCR5 density over time in ten patients using stored samples and found that during follow-up periods of between seven and 60 months, CCR5 density remained stable.
They state: “Our data argue against a key role in HCV infection of the variability in CCR5 expression among HCV/HIV-coinfected patients. These findings are reassuring based on the use of CCR5 antagonists to treat HCV/HIV coinfected patients.”
The simplest explanation for the lack of an effect of CCR5 variability, suggest the authors, is that other chemokine receptors compensate for the absence of CCR5 in determining the intensity of the anti-HCV response.
An alternative explanation, they say, is that lower CCR5 density, whilst down-regulating the anti-HCV response, also limits HIV replication and so limits the harmful effect of HIV on HCV activity.
Reference
Vincent T et al. T-cell surface CCR5 density is not correlated with hepatitis severity in hepatitis C virus/HIV-coinfected individuals: implications for the therapeutic use of CCR5 antagonists. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 38 (3): 305-309, 2005.
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March 22nd, 2005
MPs Demand Hepatitis C Action
SourceURL:http://www.thisislondon.co.uk
Government efforts to raise awareness of hepatitis C have not gone far enough, MPs have said.
Last year Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson launched an action plan and awareness campaign to deal with the virus, estimated to affect up to 500,000 people in the UK.
But the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Hepatology called for greater urgency in dealing with "the coming tidal wave of hepatitis C" in the UK.
They said the action plan had set no targets and the awareness campaign had been very low key.
It is believed that as many as nine out of 10 people with hepatitis C are not aware they are living with it, leading campaigners to label it "the time-bomb virus", as people can be infected for more than 20 years before serious health problems make them aware of the condition.
The blood-borne virus is most commonly passed on by intravenous drug use, but can also be spread through tattooing, body piercing, acupuncture or through blood transfusions before screening for hepatitis C began.
Up to half of those infected with the virus will develop severe liver disease, needing a liver transplant or they will die. But it is estimated that around 60% of people living with the virus could be cured with treatment.
The MPs' report - The Hepatitis C Scandal - calls for greater investment from the Government to deal with the virus and a proactive screening programme to target at-risk groups. It said these should include women who have had a Caesarean birth and people who received a blood transfusion before screening for the virus was introduced in 1991.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "We are committed to raising the importance of hepatitis C as a public health issue.
"Our Hepatitis C Action Plan will help ensure that people who are infected with the disease are referred for specialist assessment and treatment and also take precautionary measures so that their infection isn't passed on to others."
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Fletcher's Motion to Force House Vote on Hep C Compensation
OTTAWA Opposition Health Critic Steven Fletcher, M.P. for Charleswood St. James Assiniboia, applauded the Standing Committee on Health's support for his motion which passed on Monday. The motion calls on the health committee to report to the House of Commons that the government should extend compensation to all those who contracted Hepatitis C from tainted blood.
Last November, the health committee made a similar report, but the Liberals talked out debate in the House before a vote to accept the report could be put to members. Due to new procedural rules instituted this month, such filibustering will no longer be possible. Now, any committee report must be debated within the House for three hours and then be put to a vote.
"Thanks to the new procedural rules, the government can't keep ignoring this issue like they've always done," said Fletcher, "Even when others suffered, the Liberal have had no qualms about manipulating the system for their own political ends. They can't get away with such flagrant abuse any longer. Victims of Hep C will finally be heard."
Last November, Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh suddenly announced that the government would reconsider its long-held position that those infected outside of the 1986-1990 window did not qualify for compensation. Stating "changing circumstances", he suggested that new financial options might be considered for those originally left out of the fund. Any additional compensation would depend upon the results of a June audit, which would determine if the fund had an actuarial surplus and if so, how large.
"Since 1998, the Liberals have ignored the suffering of thousands of Canadians infected by tainted blood. Using legal arguments, they tried to absolve themselves of any responsibility to those not infected within the 1986-1990 window," said Fletcher, "For seven years, while victims died, this government refused to accept blame. The Health Minister has essentially admitted his government has acted in error, but is still forcing victims to wait until June. The callousness of it all shocks me."
For further information, please contact the office of Steven Fletcher
at (613) 943-8131.
John Macaulay
Legislative Assistant
Office of Conservative Health Critic Steven Fletcher, M.P.
103-S Centre Block
Parliament Hill
Ottawa, ON
(613) 943-8131 - phone
(613) 992-3199 - fax
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Roche Initiates Trial in Post-Transplant Hepatitis
SourceURL:http://uk.biz.yahoo.com
Roche has initiated a new study to evaluate treatment strategies to reduce post-transplant recurrence of hepatitis C infection with the most prescribed hepatitis C treatment combination in the US, Pegasys and Copegus.
Roche has initiated a new study to evaluate treatment strategies to reduce post-transplant recurrence of hepatitis C infection with the most prescribed hepatitis C treatment combination in the US, Pegasys and Copegus.
The new study will compare prophylactic combination therapy with Pegasys (peginterferon alfa-2a) and Copegus (ribavirin, USP), with the same combination therapy administered once hepatitis C infection recurs histologically in the transplanted liver.
The study will enroll approximately 300 patients and include 28 trial sites throughout the US. All patients will be evaluated at 24 months to determine if they have experienced hepatitis C recurrence measured by fibrosis stage two or greater and/or inflammation grade three or greater.
"There are many questions to be answered such as how safe and effective is hepatitis C combination therapy for patients who have received a liver transplant, and when is treatment most effective," said Dr Michael Charlton, associate professor of medicine and director of transplant research at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
"It is our hope that this study will help determine the best strategy for managing hepatitis C in patients who have received a liver transplant."
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DeWitt Suing over Hepatitis C Infection
SourceURL:http://www.mtstandard.com
Patrick DeWitt, who is accused of violating several probation conditions, is suing Butte-Silver Bow County, alleging it is responsible for him contracting Hepatitis C.
DeWitt claims he contracted the disease after coming into contact with a used syringe at the temporary jail in Warm Springs on June 9, 2002. He filed the document in January in Anaconda district court, because the temporary prison was located in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County at the time.
DeWitt contends that the county was so careless in supervising and managing the jail that he was stuck or stabbed by the dirty hypodermic needle, causing his illness, which is permanent, incurable and potentially life-threatening, according to the complaint.
Because of that, DeWitt says he has painful, permanent injuries. DeWitt seeks damages for medical expenses, suffering and lawyers' fees.
The complaint has been referred to the county's insurer, the Montana Municipal Insurance Authority, for investigation.
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March 23rd, 2005
Hepatitis C Caring Ambassadors Program Launches Online Activist Resource Center
SourceURL:http://home.businesswire.com
OREGON CITY, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2005--The Hepatitis C Caring Ambassadors Program (HCCAP), a national nonprofit advocacy organization, is pleased to announce the Internet release of its new HCCAP Activist Resource Center at www.hepcchallenge.org. The HCCAP Activist Resource Center is a set of tools designed to increase hepatitis C awareness and community involvement. Users can send e-mails or letters to their elected officials and other important policy makers, sign up for electronic notification about emerging issues in hepatitis C, learn the latest news and information about the disease, and more. "Awareness is the key to changing the outcome of the hepatitis C epidemic. It is critical for people with HCV and those concerned about this crisis to be heard. The user-friendly tools of the HCCAP Activist Resource Center make it easy to take action and raise hepatitis C awareness." said Lorren Sandt, Manager of the Hepatitis C Caring Ambassadors Program.
Hepatitis C is the most common chronic, blood-borne viral infection in the United States. An estimated 4 million Americans are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), the most common cause of chronic liver disease and adult liver transplantation in the U.S. Approximately 30,000 new HCV cases are reported each year. Hepatitis C currently kills at least 12,000 Americans annually, a number that is expected to triple by 2010 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Increasing hepatitis C awareness is a key mission of the Hepatitis C Caring Ambassadors Program. Dr. Tina St. John, Medical Director of the Caring Ambassadors Program commented, "No one is immune to hepatitis C. People in the community need to understand how to protect themselves from HCV. People at risk for hepatitis C need to know their risk profile so they can be tested. People infected with HCV need to know how their disease can be managed. And policy makers need to be made aware of the threat posed by hepatitis C so they can take action to protect the health of the American people. The HCCAP Activist Resource Center will help on all of these fronts."
The Hepatitis C Caring Ambassadors Program believes strongly in the power of people working together. The HCCAP Activist Resource Center provides one more tool to help the community have a united voice. Please visit the HCCAP Activist Resource Center at www.hepcchallenge.org and make your voice heard.
For additional information about the Hepatitis C Caring Ambassadors Program and the HCCAP Activist Resource Center, contact Lorren Sandt at 877-737-4372 or lorren@hepcchallenge.org.
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March 24th, 2005
Hepatitis C and Health-Related Quality of Life
http://www.eurekalert.org/
Patients with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) have a significant decrease in their health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL), although treatment success can mitigate this negative effect. These are among the findings of a systematic review of relevant literature published in the April 2005 issue of Hepatology, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., the journal is available online via Wiley InterScience at http://www.interscience.wiley.com
/journal/hepatology.
The authors also found that traditional outcomes measured in patients, including liver histology and ALT levels, do not necessarily correspond with HRQOL differences. A panel of experts convened to consider all the data focused on patient-reported vitality as most relevant to HCV-related quality-of-life effects. They established a minimally clinically important HRQOL difference (also called the "MCID") of 4.2 points on the vitality scale.
About 4 million Americans are infected with HCV. While approximately 20 percent of these people eventually develop cirrhosis, the vast majority of people never exhibit clinically significant liver disease. Still evolving data suggests that HCV can diminish quality-of-life even without causing liver disease, perhaps due to HCV symptoms that do not involve the liver, HCV-related cognitive dysfunction, or an association between HCV and comorbid psychosocial disorders.
To better understand how HCV influences health-related quality-of-life, researchers led by Brennan M.R. Spiegel, M.D., M.S.H.S. and Fasiha Kanwal, M.D., M.S.H.S. of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and UCLA, performed the first-ever systematic review of relevant literature. They hoped to establish the minimally clinically important health-related quality-of-life difference in HCV patients so researchers and physicians can better monitor patient outcomes, and better inform patients choosing a management strategy.
The authors examined 32 studies published between January 1990 and June 2004. Fifteen compared HRQOL in HCV patients with that of healthy patients. They showed that HCV patients had a diminished HRQOL, most dramatically in social and physical function, general health, and vitality. Nine studies stratified HRQOL by response to treatment measures. They indicated that HRQOL is consistently worse in patients who fail to achieve sustained viral response. Six studies examined HRQOL by neuropsychosocial effects, such as cognitive dysfunction, depression, emotional distress and stigmatization. These studies revealed large HCV-related HRQOL differences. Finally, five studies stratified HRQOL by traditional markers of liver disease. These showed that subtle histological or biochemical changes were not perceived as clinically important by patients, though large differences in HRQOL were found in patients with cirrhosis.
The expert panel concluded that the vitality scale best captured the HRQOL effects relevant to HCV patients. They generated a mean MCID of 4.2 points on the vitality scale. "This value can be used in everyday clinical practice and in clinical trials," the authors suggest. "For example, physicians can measure patient outcomes by administering the 6-item SF vitality scale during office visits. If a patient fails to achieve an increase of 4.2 points over time, then it implies that the ongoing care has failed to perceptively improve the patient's HRQOL. In clinical trials, the MCID can be used as a yardstick to determine whether patients have benefited from the study intervention."
Since the analysis was limited by estimations of MCID based on existing data, the authors suggest that future research directly measure the MCID. Further, they caution, the vitality scale alone may not capture all the key aspects of HRQOL in HCV.
Still, their findings offer a number of important revelations about health-related quality of life in patients with HCV. "In conclusion," the authors report, "chronic HCV diminishes HRQOL across a wide range of clinical anchors. The impact on HRQOL is highly clinically significant and affects physical, social and mental health domains."
Article: "Impact of Hepatitis C on Health Related Quality of Life: A Systematic Review and Quantitative Assessment," Brennan M.R. Spiegel, Zobair M. Younossi, Ron D. Hays, Dennis Revicki, Sean Robbins, and Fasiha Kanwal, Hepatology; April 2005; Volume 41, Issue 4 (Published Online: March 24, 2005).
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March 25th, 2005
Blood Transfused without Testing for HIV, HBV
SourceURL:http://www.greaterkashmir.com
ZAKIR MALIK
Jammu, Mar 25: 17,173 units of blood not tested for HIV and Hepatitis B were transfused to many patients in different hospitals of the state in last five years. The blood was transferred at Lal Ded Hospital, District Hospital Rajouri and District Hospital Udhampur. Not only this, at least 42 machines and equipment in various hospitals were also not utilized.
The Comptroller Auditor General of India (CAG) in its latest report, has stated that the department had not ensured mandatory testing of blood units of HIV and Hepatitis B. It said that out of 31,280 units collected in three hospitals viz Lalla Ded Hospital Srinagar, District Hospital Rajouri and District Hospital Udhampur, 17173 units were not tested for HIV + and Hepatitis B for want of equipment.
The report added that 42 machines/equipment valuing Rs 1.52 crore purchased for 13 hospitals between September 1995 and July 2003 could not be put to use due to various factors. These include non-availability of trained manpower, lack of infrastructure, non-commissioning and non-execution of repairs. The report states that the machinery received between August 1995 to October 2003 from various aid agencies remained non functional in four hospitals due to various reasons.
The report states that the Dental Unit even though after being purchased was not installed in District Hospital Islamabad. The status of Hematology Analyzer is also same whereas Bio-Chemical Analyzer is lying idle due to technical default. It further adds that opthalmological equipment in Sub District Hospital Kulgam is not being installed due to unavailability of qualified staff. Gynecological equipment in Lalla Ded Hospital and Blood Storage and Blood Transport Container in Sub District Hospital Kulgam are not installed in the hospitals.
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March 26th, 2005
Firing Man for Being Hepatitis C Carrier Illegal, Court Rules
SourceURL:http://www.japantoday.com
KOBE -- The Kobe District Court on Friday ordered a staff outsourcing company to pay 1.1 million yen to a man in his 30s for firing him because he is a hepatitis C carrier.
"The dismissal was based on prejudice and there was no validity to it," Presiding Judge Sumio Tanaka said. The employer "did not have a correct understanding of hepatitis C, nor did it carry out enough research" on it, he added. (Kyodo News).
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