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Where to get hepatitis C treatment free or subsidised in Telangana | CION Cancer Clinics
Hepatitis C testing and antiviral tablets are free at designated government hospitals in Telangana under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme. Take your first report to a treatment centre, confirm the virus is active and finish the course. This page explains where to go, what to carry, where Aarogyasri fits and what the programme does not cover. At CION Cancer Clinics, our specialists help you understand your own risk and plan regular liver checks that fit it.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
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On this page
- Can I get hepatitis C treatment free in Telangana?
- Where can I get hepatitis C tablets free or at low cost?
- How do I get onto the free programme?
- What should I take to the treatment centre?
- Who will this programme not fully help?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about free hepatitis C treatment
The short answer
Can I get hepatitis C treatment free in Telangana?
Yes. The National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme, run by the Union health ministry with the state, offers free testing and free antiviral tablets for hepatitis C at designated government hospitals. In Telangana these treatment centres sit mainly in government medical college hospitals and district hospitals.
What the programme gives you
It covers the blood test that confirms the virus is active, the check for liver scarring, the course of tablets and the test afterwards that shows whether the virus has cleared. For most people the whole course is a few months of daily tablets, collected from the centre. Hepatitis C is curable with these tablets in most people who complete the course.
Why it is worth doing even if you feel well
Hepatitis C often causes no symptoms for years while it scars the liver. Clearing it early protects the liver and lowers, but does not remove, the risk of liver cancer later. If scarring has already reached cirrhosis, scans need to continue after the tablets finish. Our page on why surveillance continues explains why.
Scheme details, centre lists and paperwork change. Check with the centre or the district health office before you travel.Your options
Where can I get hepatitis C tablets free or at low cost?
There are three routes. Most families use the first, and some move between them depending on where they live.
Government treatment centres
Designated hospitals under the national programme test and treat free. Some are model treatment centres with specialists, which take the more complicated cases, including people with cirrhosis.
Usually found at
- Government medical college hospitals
- District hospitals
- Some area hospitals, by referral
Government testing points
Primary health centres and community health centres may offer the first screening test. A positive result is then referred to a treatment centre for the confirmatory test and the tablets.
Private doctors and pharmacies
Indian generic versions of the tablets are widely sold. The price has fallen a great deal, but it still varies by brand and by pharmacy. Ask for a written estimate for the tablets and every test.
Never start tablets without a doctor checking your liver first.Where Aarogyasri fits
Aarogyasri is designed mainly for hospital treatment and procedures. Daily antiviral tablets are usually given through the national programme instead. Ask the Aarogyasri desk what applies to you now.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistGetting started
How do I get onto the free programme?
Take your first report to a government centre
If an antibody test was positive anywhere, private or government, take that report to the nearest treatment centre. You can also ask your primary health centre for a referral.
Have the confirmatory test
A viral load test shows whether the virus is still active. Some people cleared it on their own years ago and need no tablets at all.
Have your liver checked
Blood tests and sometimes a scan or FibroScan show how much scarring there is. This decides which tablets you get and whether a specialist centre should see you.
Collect the tablets and finish the course
Tablets are usually handed out in monthly lots. Take every dose. If you travel or run short, tell the centre before the tablets run out.
Have the test after the course
A repeat viral load test some weeks after the last tablet confirms whether the virus has gone. Keep this report safely.
Before you travel
What should I take to the treatment centre?
- Identity proof
- Aadhaar or another government photo identity card. Centres register each patient, and the same name should appear on every report.
- Your hepatitis C reports
- The antibody result, any viral load result and any earlier prescriptions. Private lab reports are accepted as a starting point at most centres.
- Liver tests and scans
- Any recent liver function tests, ultrasound or FibroScan reports. They can save a repeat test and speed up the start of treatment.
- A list of your medicines
- Every tablet you take, including acid tablets, heart medicines and herbal products. Some interact with the antivirals.
- Cancer reports, if you have them
- If you have liver cancer or are being treated for any cancer, bring those papers too. The timing of the tablets may need to be agreed with your oncologist.
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Did you know
A positive antibody test does not always mean you need tablets. The antibody stays for life even if the virus has gone. Only the viral load test shows whether the infection is still active.
Not covered here
Who will this programme not fully help?
The programme treats the virus. It does not pay for cancer treatment. If you already have liver cancer, surgery, TACE, ablation and cancer medicines are paid for separately, through insurance, a state scheme such as Aarogyasri, Ayushman Bharat or your own funds. Read our page on hepatitis C treatment when you already have liver cancer for the timing.
People with a failing liver
If the liver is already struggling, with fluid in the abdomen, jaundice or confusion, the tablets must be chosen by a specialist. The programme can refer you, but the hepatology and hospital care you need may sit outside it.
People with hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a different virus. It is controlled with long-term tablets rather than cleared, and the rules are different. See free and subsidised hepatitis treatment in Telangana for both viruses.
People living outside Telangana
Andhra Pradesh and every other state run the same national programme through their own government hospitals. Ask at your district hospital.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot give you a current list of treatment centres or tell you which one has tablets in stock this month. Those details change. The district health office, the programme helpline listed on the national website, or the hospital itself can confirm them before you travel.
It cannot tell you whether you need treatment
Only your viral load result and a doctor's assessment of your liver can answer that. A report you found in an old file is a starting point, not a decision.
It is general information, not advice on entitlement
Eligibility rules for Aarogyasri and Ayushman Bharat are set by the schemes and can change. For your own case, ask the scheme desk at the hospital or the scheme's own office. If you have liver cancer as well, CION can help with scheme paperwork for the cancer treatment and work with your hepatitis C doctor on timing.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about free hepatitis C treatment
Is the hepatitis C treatment really free at government centres?
Under the national programme the confirmatory test and the antiviral tablets are given free at designated centres. You may still spend on travel, a day's lost wages or a test done privately while you wait. Ask the centre which tests they do on site before you pay for any elsewhere.
Do I need a ration card or income proof?
The national hepatitis programme is generally open to anyone diagnosed, not only to families below a set income. An identity card is usually needed for registration. Requirements can change, so ask the treatment centre what to bring when you call.
Can I start privately and then switch to the free programme?
Talk to both doctors before you switch. Changing brands mid-course is usually possible if the medicines are the same, but stopping and restarting is not. Take your prescriptions and reports so the centre can continue the same treatment without a gap.
Are the government tablets as good as private ones?
The programme supplies the same direct-acting antiviral medicines that are sold privately, usually Indian generics. What matters most is that the right combination is chosen for your liver and that you take every dose. Read about the antivirals used in India.
Does Aarogyasri pay for hepatitis C tablets?
Aarogyasri is mainly built for treatment in hospital. Outpatient antiviral tablets are usually provided through the national programme instead. Rules change, so ask the Aarogyasri desk at the hospital whether anything related to your liver care is covered today.
Should my family get tested too?
It is sensible to ask, especially if relatives shared the same old injections, transfusions or dialysis. Testing is free at government centres. Finding the virus is not a reason for blame, and anyone found positive can be treated in the same way.
I have cirrhosis. Can I still use the programme?
Yes. People with cirrhosis are usually seen at a model treatment centre with specialists, because the choice of tablets is more careful. You will also need regular liver scans afterwards, because the cancer risk stays even after the virus has cleared.
I have liver cancer as well. Who do I talk to first?
Talk to your cancer team first, because the order of treatment matters. The antiviral tablets can often still come from the free programme. Call the CION helpline if you need help bringing your cancer plan and hepatitis C care together.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (MoHFW) — National Viral Hepatitis Control Program
- World Health Organization — Hepatitis C
- NHS — Hepatitis C
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Free and subsidised hepatitis treatment in TelanganaHepatitis B and C schemes on one pageWhere to get tested for hepatitis B and C in HyderabadIf you have not had the first test yetReading a hepatitis C reportAntibody, RNA and genotype explainedHepatitis C treatment when you already have liver cancerGetting the timing right with cancer treatment
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If a scan has found something in your liver, our team can review it and help you plan cancer care alongside your hepatitis C treatment. One helpline serves every CION centre.