RANGPUR: Health experts at a discussion have put importance on creating social awareness in detecting tuberculosis (TB) patients to bring them under free treatment facilities to eradicate the curable disease from the country, reports BSS.
They were addressing the post-rally discussion held in the conference room of the civil surgeon office on Friday afternoon in observance of the World Tuberculosis Day-2017 with the theme ‘Unite to End TB.’
The divisional director (Health) office and health administrations organised daylong programme under National Tuberculosis Prevention Programme of the Health Directorate under Health and Family Welfare Ministry to observe the day.
Earlier, a colourful rally participated by officials, teachers, students, health workers, nurses, public representatives, religious leaders, civil society members, professionals, and socio- cultural activists, was brought out in the city.
With Civil Surgeon Dr Zakirul Islam in the chair, Divisional Deputy Director (Health) Dr Ahad Ali attended and addressed the post-rally the discussion as the chief guest. Sadar Upazila Heath and Family Planning Officer Dr Rabi Sankar Mandal, District Manager of BRAC Nazmul Haque, its Senior Upazila Manager Md Alauddin, Executive Director of SHADO Jamil Ahmed addressed as special guests.
Consultant of Tazhat Chest Disease Hospital in Rangpur Dr Mahmud Hossain as the main resource person narrated the reasons behind tuberculosis infection, its prevention and the existing free treatment facilities across the country.
He discussed multi-drug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis, Extra Pulmonary, extremely drug resistant (XDR) tuberculosis, micro-bacterial (MT) tuberculosis and functioning of GeneXpert Machine at Tazhat Chest Disease Hospital in diagnosing MDR tuberculosis.“The full-fledged GeneXpert Laboratory at Tazhat Chest Disease Hospital, equipped with ultra-modern GeneXpert machine, computers and other inputs has been assisting the doctors to effectively diagnose MDR-TB and tuberculosis,” he said. Dr Hossain laid special emphasis on conducting quick cough test of tuberculosis patients, taking preventive vaccines and full course intake of essential medicines without interruption, for eradicating the curable disease from the country.