Mustafa Kamal orders hepatitis tests for Health staff
News Desk
Islamabad: Pakistan’s federal government is tightening its response to hepatitis as the Ministry of Health moves to make screening mandatory for its employees and plans to extend testing across government offices in Islamabad.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has directed employees of the Ministry of Health to undergo hepatitis testing, warning that salaries could be withheld from those who refuse to participate.
The move comes amid growing concern over the spread of hepatitis in Pakistan, with the health minister calling for people aged 12 and above to be screened.
The decision is expected to make federal ministries an important starting point for a wider screening campaign in the capital.
According to sources in the Ministry of Health, hepatitis screening will be made mandatory for employees of federal ministries, with plans to screen government workers across Islamabad.
The initiative is being linked to the Prime Minister’s Hepatitis Programme, under which people who test positive are expected to receive further diagnostic testing and treatment support.
Free PCR testing for positive cases
Under the programme, individuals who test positive during initial hepatitis screening will be eligible for free PCR testing to confirm the infection.
Sources said medicines will also be provided free of charge to patients following the PCR test.
The government has allocated Rs67 billion for the Prime Minister’s Hepatitis Programme, while free screening is already being conducted at several locations in Islamabad.
More than 50,000 testing kits purchased
The Health Ministry has also expanded its testing capacity, with more than 50,000 hepatitis screening kits reportedly purchased for the campaign.
Machinery has been installed at the National Institute of Health to conduct PCR testing, allowing suspected cases to undergo further testing without having to rely entirely on private diagnostic facilities.
The approach is aimed at identifying infections earlier and connecting confirmed patients with treatment.
Why government is pushing screening
Hepatitis can remain undetected for long periods because many infected people may not experience obvious symptoms in the early stages.
The government’s push for wider screening therefore focuses on finding infections before they develop into more serious health problems.
The health minister has urged people above the age of 12 to undergo screening, reflecting an attempt to move beyond treating known cases towards identifying people who may be carrying the virus without knowing it.
From ministries to the wider population
Making testing compulsory for Health Ministry employees could serve as an initial model for a broader government screening programme.
If the planned screening of federal employees across Islamabad is implemented, thousands of government workers could be tested through a coordinated system linked to free confirmatory testing and treatment.
The larger challenge, however, will be taking the programme beyond government offices and ensuring that people who test positive can consistently access follow-up care.
For now, the federal government is using its own workforce as the starting point for a wider hepatitis detection campaign, combining mandatory screening with free PCR testing and medicines for confirmed cases.
