TB: Rumuigbo Chest Clinic Wants Resident Doctor

The Rivers State
government has been called upon to provide a Permanent Respiratory Physician for the Chest Clinic, Rumuigbo Primary Health Centre, for the effective treatment of Tuberculosis in the area.
The Tuberculosis Control Supervisor, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Mrs Beatrice Anyawa made the call at the just-concluded Three-Day Tuberculosis Awareness Campaign and Community Vanguards Training in Rivers State.
Anyawa who noted that there were numerous cases of Tuberculosis in the local government said however that the absence of a permanent chest doctor had slowed down the pace of treatment and cure.
Anyawa stated that the Tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment takes stages maintaining that all the stages must be adhered to for a total treatment, a situation which she said demanded a permanent doctor for a constant follow up on patients.
Anyawa said “our challenge here is that there is no permanent chest doctor at the centre. There are other doctors but we need a specialized and permanent doctor especially for the Smear-Negative Case. Most times these cases arrive the centre but the doctor is not there. It’s a big set back on this course”.
Explaining the stages of Tuberculosis treatment, the TBL Supervisor said “where a patient is diagnosed positive and commences treatment, he/she goes for a two-months, five- months and six-months testing within the period of treatment. If at the end of the six months testing, it turns out negative, the patient is cured but if otherwise, the patient goes for a genexpert test for a higher drug administration.
While noting that Tuberculosis was a air-borne disease, Anyawa called on the people not to down play on any cough that lasts for more than two weeks but report to the centre for diagnosis and treatment saying “the treatment is free”.
She further urged suspects and TB patients to remain patient and observe all rules and medication within the period of treatment to obtain a total cure thereby ending the spread of the disease.