Decision means new hope for Hepatitis C patients

Hepatitis C patients are to be given a specialised medical treatment for free by the government after pressure from the Ombudsman.

Around 1,000 patients are currently being deprived of the procedure because of high cost.

Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino, however, said today that after pressure from his office and the media, the government had accept that patients were entitled to treatment free of charge.

The medicine, Harvoni Regime, costs a staggering €75,000 per patient and was added to the schedule of medicines in the Social Security Act back in 2012 but was still not given.

Health Commissioner Charles Messina said the health department had now set strict criteria for patients who would start receiving the medication immediately.

The Ombudsman was requested to intervene by two Hepatitis C patients, one of whom had contracted the disease after using contaminated products given to him by the Health Department some 30 years ago.

The Ombudsman had received expert opinion that about 20 per cent of Hepatitis C patients would develop liver failure or cancer if untreated.