By Colleen Barilae – EM TV News, Lae
More than 20 wards in the Lae district of Ahi, and Lae Urban LLGs, will have volunteer TB treatment partners to oversee TB cases within their communities.
The health workers, attached to community-based organisations, will be working alongside ward councillors to support, identify and carry out TB care and treatment.
It is a joint initiative by Lae district and provincial health authorities.
Lae district is embarking on a community-based program that will involve ward councillors supporting the work of TB officers in Lae communities.
Apart from voluntary treatment partners, Morobe TB office has revealed it will need the help of community leaders to identify and support people with the disease.
It also reveals there have been many cases where patients do not complete their drug treatmen’s due to less care and supervision from community health workers.
Every four months, each community ward can have up to five TB patients being supported and cared for by voluntary treatment partners.
Currently, Lae district’s 36 volunteer treatment partners are carrying out TB care and treatment across Lae’s 23 wards. But, the TB officers say this is not enough.
Volunteer treatment partners in Lae district rely highly on the provincial government for incentives for their community health projects to be carried out.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=SmHpJdF_6RA%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
