DOHA: Foreign workers seeking employment in Qatar will have to screen for hepatitis in their home countries starting from end of this year, according to a senior official.
Pre-arrival test for hepatitis will be part of a compulsory medical screening for some chronic diseases. “It’s recommended to test for hepatitis before arrival, currently we are working on it. Pre-arrival screening is to start by end of this year,” said Dr Ahmed Ismail, Consultant and Chief Laboratory Services, Medical Commission, Supreme Council of Health.
The Medical Commission conducts health checks on newly arrived foreign workers to make sure that they test negative for HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C to be entitled to a work visa. However, only some segments of foreign workers including health care professionals, nursery teachers, cabin crew, food handlers, hair dressers and athletes are screened for hepatitis B and C.
Dr Ismail, speaking at the ‘National Viral hepatitis Symposium’, said that screening for hepatitis should not be expanded for everyone seeking employment here unless a strong evidence is found about high prevalence of the disease in their home countries.
In his presentation on ‘Screening for viral hepatitis among expatriate population seeking employment in Qatar: Challenges and recommendations’, Dr Ismail suggested developing national hepatitis prevention and control strategy, enhancing education and awareness, strengthening surveillance, sustaining high vaccination coverage and developing research agenda to address knowledge gaps and improve the health response to viral hepatitis.
“People come from different backgrounds. Some are without prior knowledge about their medical history and many don’t give true details. Employers need quick results but sometimes it needs more time to confirm if the person actually has the infection, sometimes six to 12 months,” said Dr Ismail. In 2013, a total of 1,021 non-Qataris and 178 Qataris were found with different types of hepatitis.
Meanwhile, a study conducted by the Medical Commission among single workers this year has found that prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among single male workers was 0.8 percent.
The study titled ‘Viral hepatitis C serological and behavioural survey among single male labourers in Qatar’ found that only 5.9 percent of single male workers had received information on hepatitis C infection. Around 42 percent of workers included in the study have reported at least one practice that puts them at risk of hepatitis C infection. Ear or body piercing (21.9 percent), tattooing (13.3 percent) and injecting with used needles or syringes (7.4 percent) were most reported risk practices. The Peninsula
