A free tuberculosis test and treatment Programme has commenced in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State with an opportunity for youths to earn N2,000 per patient when such persons test positive to TB.
The TB patients were urged to take advantage of the ongoing free medical test and treatment by making themselves available as a team of doctors will be visiting various Communities for the next one week.
A health officer from the Delta State Ministry of Health, Chris Nmoye informed our correspondent that the free tuberculosis test and treatment began since August 14,2023, adding that it was flagged off at the National Union of Local Government Employee at Ika South Local Government Area Secretariat, Agbor.
The council chairman, Sunday Tatabuzogwu , who spoke to Journalists noted that the tuberculosis cases in Ika South Local Government Area has been on the upward swing in recent times, adding that as statistics has shown, while expressing relief that it has attracted the attention of the state government.
On the role of the general public, he tasked indigenes to assist in identifying tuberculosis patients in their areas and encourage them to come out for test and treatment as this is the easiest and best way to checkmate the spread the message that the test is free, while the treatment has a six months terminal date.
On signs , Nmoye said that’” anytime you find anyone coughing consistently, there is possiblity of tuberculosis, so kindly encourage such persons to go to a TB test centre close to them for medical checkup, so as to know what caused the cough”, adding that “we have units in 21 health centers across the local government but the most central unit is at the school of Nursing Compound, Agbor.”
On high infection rates, he gave an instance of a public transportation system where passengers face a high risk of being infected, especially if there are any TB patients in the same vehicle, adding that:” When an infected person coughs consistently in an air conditioned bus , the disease vector will be circulating in the bus , so as long as other passengers are breathing, they will inhale the infected air and get infected”.
He therefore advised travellers to always wind down glasses when there is a passenger coughing consistently so as to allow fresh air in the vehicle.
Meanwhile, Nmoye commended the cooperation of the Local Government, saying that the Council assisted the advocacy and fact finding, and urged the youths to engage themselves through partnership with the team, saying that people are needed in the field work to help identify TB patients.
