Felipo David G. Malcampo
ZAMBOANGA
CITY - The Global Fund-Philippine Business for Social Progress
(GF-PBSP) and the Mindanao Integrated Resource Development, Inc (MIRD), in
partnership with the Provincial Health Offices of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi
held their third consultative conference Tuesday in a local hotel here.
GF-PBSP
TB Control Project Manager Romeo C. Bacharo Jr. said the conference was “primarily
aimed at strengthening collaboration and support in sustaining close working
relations and well coordinated efforts among all program partners in TB control
under the umbrella of the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP), which is one of
the flagship programs of the Department of Health (DOH).”
The
PHO representatives from the BASULTA island-provinces attending the conference
admitted that their partnership with the GP-PBSP-MIRD “did help a lot in
carrying out their respective Community TB Care Programs.” They, however,
expressed mixed emotions as MIRD’s project contract would wind up this June.
“I
personally implore that the MIRD services be extended,” said Dr. Rhoda Delgado
in an interview. She also said that through MIRD’s complementary manpower
assistance and logistics, the Provincial Health Office was able to penetrate
some geographically isolated and depressed areas (GIDA) to conduct TB case
detection, smearing, and provide medication to positive individuals.
As
DepEd physician some 10 years ago, Delgado recalls that she has diagnosed some
30 public school teachers in the different rural areas of Basilan to have
contacted TB.
Delgado,
who is currently the Provincial Health Officer, emphasized that unlike before,
tuberculosis is now curable through proper care and medication. She, however,
pointed out that proper education on TB is a must for all the people in the
community to be able to curb the spread of the disease.
For
one, she said, the tubercle bacilli are airborne and that there are no signs of
early infection, unless determined through tuberculin testing, adding “the
disease does not only affect the lungs but can also spread to the bladder, the
bones and joints, larynx, lymph nodes and the skin, and it kills.”
Towards
the end of the conference, participants drew up their work plans on how to
sustain the gains of the program in their respective provinces, calling for
support from all sectors of society.
In
her short press statement, TB Nurse Coordinator Rose Marie Ho of IPHO Tawi-Tawi
said: “The DOH alone cannot implement all health programs. Little it may be,
the Department needs all the support it can gather. That’s why we are very
thankful to agencies like MIRD for its assistance.”
On
the other hand, Rural Health Physician Dr. Nhamier M. Jikiri of IPHO Sulu
declared: “TB control is a multi-sector effort. It is not the sole
responsibility of people in the medical community, but also of the local
government units, and most specially everyone in the community.” (PIA)