The Davao City Health Office, in partnership with the Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP) and the Department of Health (DOH), held a free Tuberculosis (TB) screening on March 24 to commemorate World TB Day.
The TB Active Case Finding by Chest X-Ray was conducted at the activity area of Victoria Plaza from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The activity was intended to further heighten the screening and diagnosis of TB, as well as to inform Dabawenyos that the city, through its healthcare agencies, offer free treatment to patients.
A Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing and counselling was also offered by personnel from the Davao City Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC) during the event.
Dr. Ma. Theresa Bernardo, a pulmonologist, emphasized during the event that TB is curable and preventable.
The TB DOTS (Direct Observed Treatment, Short Course) centers across the city are equipped with adequate materials for screening and diagnosis of the disease.
The PCCP, CHO, and DOH continue to visit barangays to promote mandatory TB monitoring.
Bernardo also highlighted the importance of completing TB treatment.
“Ang atoang dapat i-emphasize sa patients [kay] ang ilahang responsibility sa pag-complete sa treatment (We have to put an emphasis on the patient’s responsibility to complete their treatment),” she said.
She warned that not completing TB treatment may lead to drug resistance, and once the patient is already drug resistant, regardless of the availability of the best medicines there is a chance that only 50 percent of the treatment will be successful.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nikita Marie Jamiana-Reyes, CHO’s TB Program Medical Coordinator, said the increase in the documented number of TB cases in the city only proves that the CHO’s efforts to cascade information, strengthening its active case finding activities, diagnosis, treatment and prevention are effective.
The CHO continues to urge Dabawenyos to visit the nearest TB DOTS center or health center for TB screening and treatment.
TB DOTS offers free screening and treatment of DB, and currently there are 12 experts cites in the city distributed among the TB DOTS centers. CIO
