DOH bats for extensive info drive vs. TB

By Alfonso T. Ruda

DIPOLOG CITY - The Department of Health (DOH) is appealing to the local media to help disseminate appropriate information about tuberculosis (TB) to the public.

Ms. Wilma Bulahan, Health Promotion Officer of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) of Zamboanga del Norte said “although tuberculosis is already considered an ordinary illness, if not prevented, would still result to one’s death.”

TB ranks 6^th among the causes of death in the country with an average 75 persons die of the disease daily.

Bulahan said “this happens because some still hesitate to go to the health center for checkup even if they are already suspecting to have been afflicted with the disease.”

“The reasons why the patients won’t visit the health center are: they don’t want to be known to have TB, the health center is quite far from their residence, and they think the medicine for TB is expensive,” Bulahan added.

Bulahan also appealed to TB patients to follow the prescribed medication period of six months to two years, as some TB patients who felt relieved of their ailment after taking the medicine for a few days stopped the treatment, resulting in relapse or recurrence of the disease.

In a related development, Zamboanga del Norte Governor Roberto Uy has committed to reopen the district hospitals in the province and activate the rural health units by providing the needed health personnel as well as medicines to cater to the health needs of the residents of the different municipalities particularly those living in the far-flung areas.

To ensure that all TB-infected patients - even those living in the remotest villages- are given adequate medical services, the barangay health workers including those who were recently trained in Zamboanga City are now required to monitor and provide the patients with the needed medicine, and to see to it that the patients religiously follow the doctor’s prescription.

The province together with the twin cities of Dipolog and Dapitan joins the entire nation in celebrating August as national lung month with the theme, “Tuldokan ang TB, Ipakalat ang Tamang Inpormasyon, Hindi Diskriminasyon.” (PIA9)