By Obakeng Maje

Taung-North West Department of Health MEC, Dr. Magome Masike officially opened Taung Hospital’s Multi Drug Resistance (MDR) TB Unit on Friday at 10h00 as part of World TB Commemoration activities. The unit is a component of the Department’s MDR TB decentralisation model that seeks to treat patients next to their home. 

The culmination went well with massive turnout.

The opening of the Unit was followed by a TB Indaba aimed at improving TB treatment outcome and infection control. 

“Taung hospital is the only hospital in the province successfully treated TB thus far” Dr Masike said.

Teams of healthcare workers, Directly Observed Therapy Supporters and developmental partners are currently busy with Intensified Tuberculosis (TB) Case Finding in villages around Taung. 

The major component of Intensified TB Case Finding is TB screening and those found to have TB symptoms will be referred to the nearest health facility.

Intensified TB Case Finding has been identified as one of the key priority areas critical to the success of Department’s effort to promote greater community involvement in disease management, community development, and empowerment to deal with own health issues and promote an integrated healthcare management system.

“Seven patients cured thus far since it opened in 210. We will need more expertise to subjugate against the scourge” said Dr Masike.

TB case finding proved to be the most effective method to intensify community education on Tuberculosis, improve treatment adherence of all diagnosed patients, solicit treatment support for all patients on treatment by their immediate family members, and improve TB outcomes when it was piloted in the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District in January 2011.

“It takes fully 24 months to completely cure TB patient” MEC outlines.

MEC of Finance in the province mr Paul Sebegoe has allocated over R7,6 billion to continue improving health of people and health infrastructure.

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