By Eric Haurupma – EM TV, Port Moresby
Central Province Catholic Health Secretary, Leo Bunbun, said Kairiku-Hiri district is expecting a tuberculosis outbreak if patients continue to disregard medical treatment.
Mr Bunbun said according to survey there has been an increase in Multi Drug-Resistant TB (MDRTB) in the district.
“The increasing number of TB patients in the Kairiku-Hiri district is a concern for health authorities.”
Mr. Bunbun added that major challenges like the remoteness of the district to nearby health centres is posing challenges for patients to access medical treatment.
“Many patients have defaulted after treatment due to limited accessibility to seek medical services.”
Early this year, the Prime Minister announced the government’s prerogatives to fight against TB in the country.
Millions of kina has been allocated to contain and manage TB in rural areas.
Health authorities, developing partners and agencies have been vocal in addressing this issue.
Catholic Health Services with support from non-government organisations, like ChildFund, have been instrumental in providing medical services to contain this disease in the Central Province.
Meanwhile, with much emphasis and focus in this area many people are able to seek and access medical treatment.
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