“The majority of dental clinics use improperly or non-sterilized instruments”
Srinagar, July 28: On Friday, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) voiced grave worry over the sharp increase in hepatitis cases that have reached epidemic proportions in Kashmir on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day.
According to DAK President Dr. Nisar ul Hassan, the hepatitis pandemic in the valley is caused by drug usage and unclean dentistry practises.
He said that over the last two decades, drug usage cases had increased alarmingly in Kashmir.
Hepatitis is a fatal virus that may spread to other people, and drug users are more likely to get it.
In a recent research at the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Kashmir, it was shown that 72% of drug users had Hepatitis C.
According to research, each drug user who contracts the hepatitis virus is likely to spread it to 20 additional people, and this fast spread of the illness happens during the first three years after initial infection.
The DAK President said that unsanitary dentistry practises in Kashmir are another factor contributing to the high prevalence of Hepatitis infection.
“The majority of dental clinics utilise incorrectly or insufficiently sterilised tools. When patients change, the equipment is not cleaned. The single-use throwaway goods are re-used on patients. In multiple dosage pharmaceutical containers, non-sterile needles are used, he said.
The usage of the same gloves by dentists for each patient instead of changing them between patients causes cross-infection.
“Patients are not screened for hepatitis prior to intervention, resulting in the transfer of these viruses from one patient to another,” he said.
Hepatitis B and C infections are significant medical illnesses, according to Dr. Nisar, and infected individuals may not exhibit overt signs of the illness for many years. Because of the delayed onset, screening is crucial.
Cirrhosis, or liver scarring, is often brought on by hepatitis B and C. Cirrhosis may result in liver failure and even malignancy.
“Despite the Hepatitis B vaccination being a part of the routine/universal immunisation policy since 2006, many adults over the age of 17 are still unvaccinated. To avoid contracting the infection, he advised, people should obtain their hepatitis B vaccination as soon as possible.
There is no vaccination for hepatitis C, but the illness may be avoided. Additionally, if caught early, this viral infectious illness has one of the best cure rates, according to the expert.
