Shimla: To aware the public about the Hepatitis, the Department of Gastroenterology IGMC Shimla & Community Medicine Department organised the World Hepatitis Day here today.

The Hepatitis kills about 1.5 million people worldwide every year. To raise awareness about viral hepatitis, the World Health Organization started organising World Hepatitis Day from 2010.

Hepatitis is one of the top four communicable diseases in the world, with someone contracting the potentially fatal liver condition every 10 seconds. Untreated, the disease can fester, leading to cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer, both of which are fatal.

The Honorable Health Minister Thakur Kaul Singh flagged off an Awareness Rally of Medical and Nursing Students, on the occasion from IGMC Gate to Ridge.

Department of Gastroenterology along with Department of Community Medicine Shimla organized a Free Screening of Hepatitis -B on this day. The department of community medicine also organised a poster competition.

Dr Jayshree Sharma DME, Dr SS Kaushal Principal IG Medical College Shimla, Dr Amit Kashyap MD NRHM, Dr Ramesh Senior medical Superintendent and President SAMDCOT Dr Ashwani Sood were also present on the occasion.