Miners get free TB, silicosis screening and treatment

Melinda Ncube, Sunday News Reporter
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care working with the Baines Occupational Health Service (BOHS) has embarked on an initiative that will see them offering free Tuberculosis (TB) and silicosis screening for artisanal miners and small-scale miners across the country

BOHS is a five-year project which is funded by the United States where they are offering free screening and diagnosis of silicosis and TB across the country. On 20 September, they will be in the Midlands Province moving around the artisanal mines for miners to undergo TB and silicosis screening with the initiative set to continue up until next year across the country.

In an interview, one of the health practitioners spearheading the project, Mrs Petronella Ncube said they had come up with the exercise after realising that miners were at higher risk of getting TB and silicosis through inhaling the silica dust from gold.

“We have noticed that no one is concentrating on artisanal and small-scale miners when it comes to their health in Zimbabwe since they inhale the silica dust from the gold which increases their risk of getting TB and literature has shown that silica dust in the lung increases the risk of TB and silicosis and when the person is diagnosed with TB we refer them for further management. Our mobile teams will be going around the mines across the districts where we are offering free scanning, screening, HIV testing because HIV reduces your immune system meaning those who are HIV positive are at a higher risk of getting these diseases,” she said.

BOHS has established two clinics for miners, one in Gwanda and the other in Gweru where miners would be tested and screened for free and they are planning to open other occupational health clinics across Zimbabwe.

“We have also added into the project capacity to train health care workers on the diagnosis of miners and about these diseases and we also capacitate miners’ leadership representative for occupational health and safety on safe mining methods and protective clothing,” said senior occupational health nurse Mr Brighton Moyo.