Co-operation of TB patients crucial in fighting the disease

Juaso (Ash), May 18, GNA - Mr. Bernard Fosu, Asante-Akim South District Disease Control Officer, has stated that the co-operation of tuberculosis (TB) patients with health workers was crucial to the fight against the disease.

He said that public reluctance to report cases to health facilities on time coupled with patients' non-compliance with prescribed medicines posed a major challenge to the fight against the disease. Mr Fosu was speaking at the first quarterly performance review meeting on tuberculosis at Juaso. The review which was geared towards mapping out effective strategies to contain the spread of the disease in the district was attended by nurses, midwives as well as Community-Based Surveillance Volunteers.

According to Mr Fosu, since the treatment of TB was free, it was incumbent on the public to collaborate with health workers to effectively eliminate the disease.

He called on the Community-Based surveillance Volunteers to intensify their monitoring at the community level to identify cases at the early stage and report to the nearest health facilities to avert the spread of the disease.

He observed that the District Health Administration was committed to the fight against the disease and urged the public to assist in the crusade.

Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, District Director of Health Services, commended the health workers for their dedication to work in the past year and challenged them to improve on their performance. He entreated them to be courteous to patients, adding that health workers who violate ethics of the profession would be sanctioned.