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Chronicle Reporter
BULAWAYO’s Thorngrove Hospital has recorded an increase in the number of patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) the majority being Zimbabweans based in South Africa. MDR-TB is a major public health problem that threatens progress made in TB care and control worldwide. The condition is often triggered by improper use of antibiotics in chemotherapy of drug-susceptible TB patients and those who default medication.
A senior official at Thorngrove Hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity said the holiday season has seen an increase in diaspora based patients with MRD-TB seeking treatment at home. “The number of patients who are diagnosed with the MRD-TB is increasing with most of them being Zimbabweans based in South Africa. When they come for treatment some already have complications because of improper use of medication and weak TB control programmes from where they stay,” said the official without giving statistics.
The official said while MDR-TB can be treated, it was important for people to seek proper TB treatment in the early stages to avoid complications.
Said the official: “With the right treatment and consistency in taking medication, the disease can be treated. It is important for people to get tested and get treatment early.”
The official said since TB was easily transmitted from one person to another, the isolation institution was using tight screening methods to prevent the spread of MDR-TB to other patients. “Sometimes we wear surgical masks and spend more time monitoring our patients because the disease is highly infectious,” the official said adding, “They (MDR-TB) patients also have their own wards to protect other patients from contracting the disease.”
The city’s director of health Dr Zanele Hwalima could not be reached on her mobile phone for comment.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care indicated that cases of MDR-TB nearly doubled from 156 in 2011 to 244 cases last year.
This was despite the fact that notifications for ordinary TB drastically declined from 47, 000 in 2010 to 38, 367 in 2012.
Online Reporter