Influx of migrants in Region 1 putting strain on TB programme

…health officials facing challenges – RHO

With the large influx of Venezuelans in Region One (Barima-Waini), health authorities operating there are encountering major difficulties in executing their Tuberculosis (TB) programme, which was already facing challenges.

This is according to Regional Health Officer of that area, Dr Latchmie Lall, who over the weekend stated that as a result of the large number of migrants moving into villages in the region, the health workers have been “forced to increase” their TB programme since many migrants are being diagnosed with this disease.
Although at this point health officers are managing to stabilise those patients, they continue to be a “moving population.”
“The grave challenge that we are seeking to address is that while we are able to stabilise them with the TB, they are a population that is moving back and forth. And when they go, they go for three to four months, and this results in them not being able to follow up thus placing undue pressure on the Direct Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) workers. It simply means that back here we are now forced to start that process again,” she admitted.
She explained that this results in several TB patients being “lost” since they cannot be tracked due to their mobility and when they are found once again by health workers, then those patients have to restart the treatment process.
According to Dr Lall, another challenge which is a thorn in the side for her region’s health officials is that residents there are not adhering to nutritional advice or ensuring they eat healthy meals.
As such, a significant burden is placed on the limited medicinal drugs and medical supplies that are given to or procured by Region One health authorities since no patient who seeks medical attention from health facilities will or can be turned away.
The RHO noted that her Regional Health Department is currently undertaking an initiative to create multiple databases that contain various information on the migrant population.
Each database will comprise of patients who are recorded with a specific illness/disease under different categories. It would also allow health officers to be aware of the numbers of migrants accessing health care and other health-related services.
Dr Lall noted that to date, there are presently 900 vaccinated and documented migrants who are living in Region One but that there are several more there who are yet to be vaccinated and/or documented by relevant authorities.
Despite being curable, TB continues to be listed as the top infectious killer worldwide, claiming over approximately 4500 lives daily.
Earlier this year, former Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings during her address on World TB Day had explained that the Ministry’s National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) identified TB as a priority health problem in Guyana and through its DOTS programme, the NTP has been able to expand TB services to all ten developmental regions of Guyana.
Currently, there are 19 TB sites across the country. Presently, DOTS coverage is just over 90 per cent. However, there is still a need for improvement, especially in the hinterland regions where more coordination of efforts and ownership by all stakeholders is required, the Minister also said.
At that time she had urged that more persons become involved in the fight against TB by educating themselves about the disease and to assist in raising awareness among others.