Hepatitis C Screening Made Mandatory for Government Employees to Receive Salary

Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal announces mandatory nationwide Hepatitis C testing for all citizens, warning that government staff who fail to comply will face salary withholding.

Federal Minister for National Health Services Mustafa Kamal launched a mandatory Hepatitis C screening drive in Islamabad under the Prime Minister’s Hepatitis C Elimination Program. He confirmed undergoing the test himself and receiving a negative result.

Testing is mandatory for every person over 12 years old across Pakistan. Directives are going to all federal ministries, making screening compulsory for all government staff, including ministers. The Federal Ministry of Health will withhold the salaries of employees who fail to get tested.

Nationwide Expansion and System Integration

• Seventeen screening centers are operational in Islamabad.
• Private hospitals will receive testing kits and equipment to provide free facilities.
• The federal government has dispatched equipment to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The Ministry of National Health Services is coordinating with provincial authorities to extend the campaign. Kamal plans to meet the Chief Minister of Punjab to resolve data-sharing delays.

Screening Linked with CNIC

Mustafa Kamal noted that the Ministry of National Health Services has integrated its systems with NADRA records using census software and devices from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Screening is linked with national identity card verification.

Tests are compulsory before foreign travel and for individuals returning after deportation. Air travel screening will remain mandatory for three months.

Free Treatment and Public Health Risk

Mustafa Kamal stated that Hepatitis C spreads through infected blood. Over 10 million people in Pakistan currently live with the virus. The disease remains undetected until it progresses to severe liver damage or cancer.

Mustafa Kamal said that the Prime Minister’s program provides free diagnostic tests and treatment courses worth 68,000 rupees. He urged the public to utilize the free health services immediately.