The Department of Health notes with concern reports that there are people who sell their TB-infected sputum to others for financial gains.
According to the reports, a person who has been diagnosed with TB would sell their sputum to the other person so that the latter can take it to a clinic/hospital under false pretence with a view to qualifying for a disability grant.
The Department of Health would like to appeal to people who are involved in this unlawful and immoral practice to desist from doing so as this practice inherently distorts the real TB situation in the country and undermines efforts in the fight against the disease.
Previously, people who had TB would qualify for a social relief grant (disability grant) but based on the abuse of the policy, the Department of Health agreed with the Department of Social Development to stop issuing such grants.
As the policy stands at the moment, TB is not regarded as a disability; it is a curable disease. It is only in the multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extremely drug resistant (XDR) TB cases that an assessment would be made to determine a need for any form of social relief based on an individual’s circumstances.
The Department of Health would also like to appeal to healthcare workers to be vigilant when supervising the collection of sputum so that any wrongdoing in TB testing and treatment can be corrected.
For more information please contact:
Fidel Hadebe
Tel: 012 312 0663
Cell: 079 517 3333
Issued by: Department of Health
15 September 2009
Jacky
