Limpopo
2 February 2007
Thank you for taking time to join us this morning as we visit this TB unit
of the FH Odendaal Hospital.
TB is one of the major health challenges facing our country. This disease
continues to spread because of the difficult social conditions under which our
people live. These poverty-related challenges, which government is determined
to address, include poor nutrition and inadequate housing.
Our goal is to ensure that TB cases are detected and diagnosed as early as
possible and ensure treatment success. Our main challenge still remains the
inability of patients to complete treatment, leading to the development of drug
resistant strains of TB � which is more challenging and expensive to treat.
In this province of Limpopo, 5 cases of Extreme Drug Resistant (XDR) TB have
been reported. Two of these patients are being treated here. We are still
tracing one more patient who was diagnosed a few days ago in order to initiate
treatment as soon as possible. One patient passed away and another was
transferred to Mpumalanga province to ensure proximity to the family.
We have to ensure that patients are cured during the first treatment attempt
to prevent resistance and save limited government resources. The first line of
treatment for each patient with ordinary TB is R400. This cost escalates to R24
000 for Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) TB and more than R40 000 for XDR TB per
patient for the period of 24 months.
We have to intensify our efforts to raise awareness about the symptoms of TB
and encourage health seeking behaviour. We have to mobilise support for TB
patients to assist them to complete the six months treatment programme. In this
regard, I would like to thank the DOT supporters who are here today.
Your work is probably the most critical component of our TB control efforts
in the country. Please continue to assist our people to complete their
treatment.
We have also paid particular focus on strengthening infection control
precautions at our health facilities in order to reduce possible transmission
of TB in these facilities.
Infection control measures are aimed at reducing direct or indirect contact
transmission by isolating patients, creating adequate bed floor space,
improving ventilation in wards, and addressing other infrastructural
problems.
Multi Drug Resistant TB Units are being improved countrywide to deal with
infection control. Where it is not possible to extend the facility, wards are
identified in hospitals for accommodating additional patients and the necessary
structural adjustments are made.
In addition to the resources available in provinces, we have allocated an
extra R3,6 million from a grant received from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB
and Malaria (GFATM) to complement infection control renovation projects that
are underway in various provinces.
This facility we are visiting today serves as the model of what we are
trying to achieve in dealing with drug resistant TB. At least R2,5 million has
been invested in the upgrading of this unit.
The hospital has 38 beds. Currently there are 17 MDR patients and 3 XDR
patients. The 3 XDR patients are accommodated in single rooms aimed at
isolating XDR patients.
The hospital is fitted with extractor fans and ultraviolet light filters
which remove and kill the bacteria circulating in the air thereby preventing
cross infection in the hospital. For extra protection, respirator masks are
given to all health workers and visitors to the hospital and patients are
provided with surgical masks.
We are now looking at improving the recreational facilities and introducing
skills development programmes as these patients have to spend a relatively long
period in the hospital.
Before this TB unit was established MDR TB patients were treated as
outpatients which posed a threat of possible spread of this disease in
communities where patients came from.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff of this unit
for your hard work. I know there are number of other things you need to improve
your work environment. We are doing everything with the resources available to
ensure that you get the support you need including hiring of additional staff
in certain professional categories.
I am convinced that the improvement we have made in this hospital and other
projects that are underway in other TB units in the country, will not only deal
with infection control, but it will also improve patient care and staff
effectiveness.
We need to remember that TB is curable including multi-drug and extreme drug
resistant TB. What is critical is to ensure that patients adhere to
treatment.
Government is committed to work with stakeholders both locally and
internationally to contain the spread of XDR TB and ensure effective management
of cases that have already been reported.
Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
Minister of Health
Contact
Sibani Mngadi
Cell: 082 772 0161
Issued by: Department of Health
2 February 2007
