A TB survivor in Kasama District , Florence Chanda , has appealed to Health authorities in the area to revert to the old system of isolating patients with Tuberculosis at Kasama General hospital if the fight against the disease is to be won in the area.
Ms Chanda, 37, of Kasama observed that the admitting of TB patients in same wards with other patients is contributing to the spreading of the disease.
She told ZANIS in an interview today that isolating TB patients will greatly help in preventing the spread of the disease in the country.
She said health authorities should consider reverting to the old system and make isolation wards for TB patients.
Ms. Chanda revealed that although studies show that chances are very slim that a patient on drugs can pass on the disease to others, there is need to quarantine them to safeguard the lives of the general public.
The TB survivor alleged that the number of patients with TB seem to be increasing in the area as compared to that time when they were being separated.
She said currently Kasama General Hospital which is the referral Centre has no isolation ward which is posing a great danger to other patients.
Ms. Chanda also appealed to all stakeholders to actively participate in the fight against TB as it is more deadly than HIV/AIDS.
She said the effects of the disease has a negative impact on the social and economic status of the country.
Efforts to get a comment from Ministry of Health spokes Person Dr. Kamoto Mbewe to comment on the matter failed by broadcast as his mobile phone was switched off.
…although studies show that chances are very slim that a patient on drugs can pass on the disease to others, there is need to quarantine them to safeguard the lives of the general public….why is she proposing to do something irrelevant? Science is not like PF politics
Can the medical experts comment on this? What I know is that there has always been a TB ward at Zambia’s hospitals. When the practice of quarantine stop? They need to be isolated. That’s the only sure way to ensure there’s not even a remote chance of other patients being infected. We can’t take any chances.
We should learn how to channel our concerns in order to get desirable outcomes. Why should the government be the ones to make that decision? Where are the medical specialists from the hospitals, districts and the ministries who are responsible to decide when, who and how to isolate?
You should have raised this issue with the doctor who was looking after you for current Zambian and global policies around isolation of patients with communicable diseases.
Msadi I like your opening sentence. Too much dependence on this animal called “government” which also has portrayed a know and take-it-all delusional approach to everything. Functionaries charged with responsibilities to deliver for government also wait for government to do something but continue drawing a salary.
Hear, hear! She is perfectly right. There is also the problem of others contractic multi drug resistant TB. Unfortunately, Zambian doctors will wait for WHO to tell them what to do.