Hepatitis B and the role of govt

The government does play the most important role in fighting discrimination against hepatitis B patients, but it is expected to make greater efforts to protect them, says an article in China Business News. Excerpt:

Medical experts have reached a consensus that public health will not be compromised if students and jobseekers are not made to undergo the hepatitis B test before joining a college or a job, Deng Haihua, spokesman for the Ministry of Health, said recently. That means the ministry plans to formulate guidelines on the subject.

People discriminate against hepatitis B patients because of ignorance and misunderstanding and hence, it is the government's responsibility to educate the public.

The public always believes information from official sources. When it comes to prevention and control of diseases, official opinion and suggestions are vital to the people.

As the most authoritative voice on the issue, health departments have the responsibility of eliminating social discrimination against hepatitis B patients. Our society needs a neutral and credible organization, too, to tell the public how to cope with this disease in a proper way.

Developed countries have already established a sound system to protect patients' rights. According to their laws, a hepatitis B test is not part of the medical check-up before students can enroll in a college or a candidate can take up a job.

China has made some progress in its efforts to do away with discrimination against hepatitis B patients. Health departments have even issued hepatitis B patients with healthy certificates.

But since it will take a long time before such discriminations are weeded out completely from China, we hope the government would put more efforts into this campaign.

(China Daily 10/14/2009 page9)