GHS sets up Call Desk Platform for tuberculosis
Two hundred and eighty six out of every 100,000 people tested in the country in 2016 were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB).
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The Greater Accra Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Linda Vanotoo, who disclosed this, said the situation was worrying.
According to her 49, people were diagnosed with the disease in Accra.
Dr Vanotoo made the disclosure at the launch of a Call Desk Platform by the GHS in Accra yesterday.
She attributed the situation to the unwillingness of people who showed symptoms of the disease to report to health facilities for treatment.
The call desk
The platform seeks to provide accessible telephone consultations and guidance for the public and clients on issues on tuberculosis within the region.
Services provided by the call desk platform include request for tuberculosis screening, enquiries and complaints through calls and social media such as whatsapp.
The public can access the whatsapp service via 0245220095, while voice calls could be accessed via 0509135913 or 0279292884.
TB diagnosis
Dr Vanotoo underscored the need for people to get tested for tuberculosis and proposed that public education efforts be intensified to improve detection of cases.
She said although the treatment of tuberculosis was free in the country, people had not been patronising the services.
“There are more undiagnosed tuberculosis cases in the region, even though treatment is free. We must find and treat them,” she said.
Giving statistics, she said in 2015 the cure rate of the disease stood at 91 per cent, while the success rate was 96 per cent, which signified hope for people diagnosed with the disease.
However, she observed that in 2016, the trend of multi-drug resistance (MDR) in tuberculosis detection recorded 17 cases, which indicated low patronage of the free treatment.
In that light, she said, the GHS had deployed 11 genexpert machines in some hospitals within the region, including the Ledzokuku-Krowor and the Ga West Municipal hospitals, to improve diagnosis.
Precautions
Speaking on the theme: “United to end tuberculosis”, Dr Vanotoo said there had been agitation by the health sector to end tuberculosis and that families and individuals also needed to support people diagnosed with the disease, adding: “It is important we all take part to end tuberculosis by 2035.”
She advised the public to take precautions when they were in public places, such as covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing, to prevent the spread of tuberculosis, as well as other air-borne diseases.