The Ministy of Health (MOH) is expressing concern that the number of patients admitted to hospital suffering from Tuberculosis (TB) is increasing.
However officials say they are working diligently to prevent an outbreak of the disease in the country.
Last week Dominica’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. David Johnson confirmed to Dominica News Online that a number of people have been hospitalised at the Imary ward of the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) suffering from the disease.
“I can confirm to you that presently we have five cases at the PMH with TB and they are isolated…” Dr. JOhnson said at the time.
However in its latest release issued on Wednesday the MOH is confirming that there are now six patients.
“Though Tuberculosis has been in existence in Dominica for a very long time, the Ministry is concerned about the increased number of patients who are admitted for treatment at the hospital,” the release said.
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria (germ) Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
It usually attacks the lungs causing a condition called Pulmonary TB.
TB may also occur outside the lungs in the lymph nodes, bones .kidneys, spine and brain.
However, TB of the lung is the most common form of the disease.
An infected person can spread the infection to other people by contact with other persons when they cough, sneeze, talk, sing or spit.
HEALTH MINISTRY INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES:
Symptoms of Tuberculosis (TB) of the lungs include:
• A cough that lasts for more than 2-3 weeks
• Weight loss
• fever
• Night sweats
• loss of appetite
• Coughing up blood.
Persons with symptoms should report to their doctor, nearest Health Care Provider or to the Princess Margaret Hospital.
TB is a curable disease. All patients who are infected with TB need to be admitted to the Hospital until such time that they can no longer transmit the disease to other persons.
The general public is advised to practice safety measures such as:
1. Ensuring the BCG vaccination of children to prevent TB.
2. Schedule a TB test if you have been exposed to someone with tuberculosis.
3. Receive additional testing if a TB test is positive. Tests may include a chest x-ray and a sputum test.
4. Begin immediate treatment as prescribed by your doctor
5. Avoid overcrowding
The Ministry of Health is informing the population that it has stepped up the vigilance in the fight against Tuberculosis and solicits the support of the general public in preventing an increase in the number of TB cases Dominica.
NY NY 10025 before the carnival the tb was already in da is the haitions that bring the tb in DA no objections.
just talk and tell people they should and shouldn’t do. Like people going to listen. The vaccine for the adults you all have to get to prevent the virus altogether.
Ignorance and Promiscuity run rampant in the country. It’s only a matter of time before HIV takes more lives than murderers. And then they will blame that on a foreiner rather than getting tested and abstaining from unsafe sexual relations. Education about such things needs to be taught in the schools before children become sexualy active. Then maybe they will make better choices. And society needs to take it to the next level and begin to protect the younger people from being preyed upon by dirty older men!
Let us put our heads together and pray for dominica
Can’t you guys see that dominca need pray oh father guide and protect us
way papa i went to the hospital to see someone on domini ward and saw three men with mask hanging around their neck,walking up and down in the corridor.THATS NOT FEAR TO THOSE OF US WHO DONT HAVE IT.TIE THEM IF THEY CANT STAY IN THEIR BED
Let me add my two cents to this debate.First lets start with immigration.The ministry of health should select a group of doctors who would be appointed as immigration doctors to screen all would-be immigrants.The immigration department would only accept immigration documents from these doctors.Falsification of such documents by these doctors must carry a compulsory 25 yr sentence in JAIL.Secondly anyone who is caught smuggling people into Dominica must face a mandatory 15 yrs in jail.Thirdly a person who is known to be H.I.V positive should also be tested for TB and vice versa.Finally the Ministry of Health should embark on an emergency immunization program among our immigrant population and the rest of the non-immunized population ASAP.
The PMH is already so small. One has to wonder if they should be kept there. There is a problem with overcrowding. So the ward should not be the place to keep TB pts.
I believe that the measures that will help decrease the cases of this disease is that they introduce Skin Test to the general public therefore the cases of TB will decrease since the Skin Test would help determine that the person is being infected with The TB virus… The Skin Test will give early detection of the disease and the patients can be placed on medication before they suffer from the disease it self…#PCSS
decrease this disease it that they introduce Skin Test to the general public therefore the cases of TB will decrease since the Skin Test would help determine that the person is being infected with The TB virus… The Skin Test will give early detection of the disease and the patients can be placed on medication before they suffer from the disease it self…#PCSS
decrease this disease it that they introduce Skin Test to the general public therefore the cases of TB will decrease since the Skin Test would help determine that the person is being infected with The TB virus… The Skin Test will give early detection of the disease and the patients can be placed on medication before they suffer from the disease it self…#PCSS
All TB patients shud also be tested for HIV as per WHO guidelines.I hope dominica can adopt that too
When I came to the US to study, I was tested positive for TB (I was not the only Dominican student who tested positive for it). I was on medication for months. We need to raise more awareness and get tested. I had no symptoms, but it was present in my system.
When I was younger, I know the Health Center used to send nurses to the schools to vaccinate children. Could testing possibly be done in the schools? This could be one step in helping this situation.
Your test could be a false positive because ofthe vacination you got in Dominica.
It happened to me in the military,
All Dominicans going to the US to study should be educated on the TB vaccine. Those who are vaccinated against TB has that mark on the upper arm. This will always lead to a positive test. You should have taken a chest x-ray instead of going on medication.
That is always a problem with Caribean nationals in the US. They need to be made aware of the vaccination.
THAT”S RIGHT SO TRUE
There should be a quarantined area in the hospital for TB patients. At present these TB patients are in the Imary Ward among all the other patients. To me, that’s putting other patients health at risk, because sometimes these TB patients move around without the mask, even talking to others. I hope the PMH/Health personnel look at removing TB patients from among the other patients.
Shouldn’t these TB patients be quarantined until they are TB free? Why aren’t we being given more information on the disease? Have we put all the necessary mechanisms in place to protect our health care workers?
it would be interesting to know what the origins of those patients, cant the Ministry tell us? because sources close to PMH are saying that those patients are non dominicans and that they are our latest near and far brothers and sisters………. wey papa
some of u dominicans are too IGNORANT!! go read!!!!!!!
Remember, many people traveled from all over the world to Dominica for the carnival. This could be a possibility.
they need to cease immigration from these countries asap. and send those with TB back to their countries too!
TB has always been present in the population but 6 cases at the same time is far too many and this signals a resurgence of the disease. If all the cases are in any way related, then it should not be too difficult to determine the probable cause. But if they are all isolated cases, then there must be some research done to determine what are the causal factors that serve as promoters for the resurgence of the disease.
Another thing that comes to mind is that the number of TB cases world wide has been on the increase as a result of HIV/AIDS so it would be very prudent for the health authorities to do further investigations(HIV/AIDS) for those persons.
I hope that the medical officials concern are giving the caregivers protective wear such as gowns, gloves, and N95 mask to protect them from carry the disease home. We have to be very cautious.
Did you say protective wear? All they have uniforms. Also the TB patients roam around the ward how they please, even without the mask.