Access to Hepatitis C treatment in Serbia is difficult or impossible for many Serbs

More About Hepatitis C Treatment in Serbia

Many nations, particularly those that purport to be socialist, have a theoretically free health care system. However, in many cases this free health care is almost completely ineffective because of corruption, underfunding, and general disinterest from the ruling elites.

 The estimated percentage of Hepatitis C infected people in the population of Serbia varies a lot but it is likely that somewhere between 2% and 4% of the Serbian population is infected with Hepatitis C. In Serbian prison populations, the Hepatitis C infection rate is around 50%.

Serbia is such a place. Theoretically every Serb should have access to free Hepatitis C treatment however the reality is that, even if they can access Hep C treatment, they are generally only offered the treatment of Interferon + Ribavirin, which is both ineffective and highly toxic… but cheap.

Generic Hep C treatment from India is available in Serbia but it is mostly controlled by the mafia and prices are fixed at around the US$2,000 mark for a 12 week treatment.

So I regularly get inquiries from people in Serbia with Hep C and have figured out a way to get generic Hepatitis C medicines to people in Serbia, bypassing Serbian Customs and the Serbian mafia.

Very Sick in Serbia

Back in July 2020 I received a message from a young man in Serbia. He was very sick from Hep C  and also suffering from a spinal infection that left him immobile.

Most of his time was spent laying down because of the combined effects of his Hep C and spinal problems.

Here is the message he sent me.

Hi Greg

i am see you on internet.

Sorry my English not so good. I am from Serbia (have hepatitis c 4 years).  I am interested for Epclusa. What is the price of that medicine and is it possible to pay in installments?  I have had an injury since 2016 and have been immobile ever since. Please help me, I can’t take it anymore, I feel really bad. It is Hepatitis C genotype 3.

I read that you say that Epclusa is good and Sofosbuvir + Daclatasvir is good. You say both are equally effective in healing, due to the difficult financial situation I would take this cheaper one (Sof + Dac). I live with my mother and sister and I, as I have already told you, am immobile, is there a possibility for you to deliver it to us directly? How much would it cost in 16 weeks? I have no money but my mother and sister will help.

Here is his story in Serbian and English:

Лечење хепатитиса Ц у Србији

(For the English version please scroll down to the bottom of the page)

2Ja sam Srbin koji je u svojim 20-im godinama bio sasvim zdrav, sve dok 2016. godine nisam ostao bez svojih nogu.To je za mene bilo jako misteriozno i veoma teško.Lekari su otkrili da imam neku vrstu kičmene infekcije (transverzalni mijelitis).Ubrzo sam postao potpuno nepokretan i vezan za invalidska kolica.Nisam bio u stanju da bilo šta radim i morao sam se potpuno osloniti na majčinu podršku.Nije bilo nade za bilo kakvim lečenjem kroz Srpski zdravstveni sistem.To je bilo nemoguće.

018-te saznao sam da bolujem od hep c. Za mene bilo je to strašno saznanje i o toj bolesti nisam znao ništa. Jednog dana bilo mi je jako loše i tada sam se više nego obicno molio Isusu i Njegovoj majci da mi pomognu jer više nisam mogao da izdržim. Imao sam velike stomačne probleme, psihički sam bio jako loše i više nisam znao šta ću sa sobom. Odjednom, posle molitve, sinula mi je ideja da potražim nešto više o tome i prvi čovek koga sam ugledao bio je Greg. Odmah sam počeo da istražujem nešto više o njemu i video sam da se radi o jednom humanom čoveku velikog srca koji svima pomaže nesebićno i rešio sam da mu se obratim. Čuli smo se preko društvenih mreža i od njega sam čuo dosta dobrih saveta i predlog sa kojom terapijom bih mogao da počnem (sof+dac). Lek mi je bio hitno potreban i pošto nisam imao dovoljno novca, Greg je odlučio odmah da mi pomogne i izadje u susret.

“Zapravo pitao sam Grega za video poziv, jer sam se brinuo da je to možda neka prevara i da ću izgubiti novac.Lek mi je bio potreban hitno a nisam imao dovoljno novca.Nakon razgovora, Greg je odmah odlučio da mi pomogne. Dobio sam terapiju po mnogo boljoj ceni nego što sam se nadao, jer Greg nije želeo da zaradjuje od mene i od napornog rada moje majke koja radi za malu platu.”

Terapiju sam dobio po povoljnijoj ceni.

Počeo sam sa 16-to nedeljnom terapijom i već nakon nekoliko dana stomak me je manje boleo, što mi je davalo nadu i utehu da će sve biti u redu. Terapija nije bila tako teško podnošljiva kao što neki kažu, čak sam se i bolje osećao u toku terapije, nego pre nje. Upravo sam završio terapiju i mogu reći da se sada osećam mnogo bolje. Psihičko stanje mi se znatno popravilo. Ovim putem se javno zahvaljujem Gregu! Želim njemu i njegovoj porodici puno srece,sve najbolje i da ih Bog čuva jer mi je spasio život. A.S.

Hepatitis C Treatment in Serbia

I am a Serbian man aged in mid 20’s in quite good health until in 2016 I began to lose the use of my legs. It was mysterious and very difficult. The Doctors discovered that I had some kind of spinal infection, more precisely inflammation of the spinal cord (Transverse myelitis). Soon I was immobile and confined to a wheelchair.

Of course I could not work and had to rely completely on my mother for support.

There was no hope of getting any treatment through the Serbian health system. It was impossible.

Then in 2018, I learned that I was suffering from Hepatitis C. For me, it was terrible knowledge because I knew nothing about that disease except that it was fatal. I had no idea how I got Hepatitis C or how long I had had Hep C?

From Hep C I developed ascites, so my stomach was bloated.

As time passed I became sicker and sicker. One day when I was very sick, more than usual, I prayed to Jesus and His mother to help me because I couldn’t take it anymore.

I had big stomach problems, I was very bad mentally and I didn’t know what to do with myself anymore. Suddenly, after the prayer, the idea came to me to look for something more about Hepatitis C on the internet. some chance of a cure, and the first man I saw was Greg.

I immediately started researching something more about him and I saw that he was a humane man with a big heart who helps everyone selflessly and I decided to turn to him. I wrote to him and we talked to each other through social networks and I heard a lot of good advice from him and a suggestion on which therapy I could start with (sof + dac). He was even happy to video chat with me.

Actually I asked to video chat with Greg because I was worried it was some kind of scam and would lose the money. But I needed the medicine urgently and since I didn’t have enough money. After we talked Greg decided to help me right away.

I received the therapy at a better price than I had hoped for because Greg did not want to make a profit from me and the hard work of my mother who works for a small wage.

I started with the 16 weeks of therapy of Sofosbuvir + Daclatasvir and after a few days, my stomach hurt less, which gave me hope and comfort that everything would be fine. The therapy was not as difficult to bear as some say, I even felt better during the therapy than before. I just finished therapy and I can say that I feel much better now. My mental state has improved significantly. I would like to publicly thank Greg this way by writing my story!

I wish him and his family good luck, all the best and that God will protect them because he saved my life. A.S.

You can read more about hepatitis C in Serbia in the following blog posts:

About Hepatitis C treatment in Serbia and Hepatitis C in Serbia.

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