Best Kalinga TB centers awarded

By Gigi Dumallig

TABUK, Kalinga – Three Rural Health Units certified as Tuberculosis Directly Observed Short- course [TB DOTS] Centers were recently awarded winners in the “2010 Search for best TB DOTS center” in the province.

Provincial Health Officer Romulo Gaerlan said this was in recognition for the RHUs “efforts in effectively and efficiently implementing the TB DOTS Chemotherapy or “Tutok Gamutan.”

From the seven evaluated RHUs in the province, Tabuk 1 RHU got the first place award with P15,000 cash prize.

Second place was Tinglayan RHU with P12,000 cash reward while third place went to Tabuk III RHU with a P10,000 award.

The Center for Health Development Regional Office provided the cash rewards.

According to Gaerlan, winners were chosen based on cure rate and case finding rate based on the 2009 NTP, complete recording and filing and prompt reporting, allocation of budget for the program, percentage of sputum examination as the primary toll in the detection of TB, referral system, formulation and implementation of policies, follow-up strategies, and quality of laboratory services.

The other four certified TB DOTS Centers which were also evaluated were Tabuk II RHU, Balbalan RHU, Lubuagan RHU and Pinukpuk RHU.

During the event, the CHD-CAR through the provincial Health Office [PHO] also gave recognition to the Kalinga TB Diagnostic Committee with a special award and cash incentive of P15,000 for “being one of the functional and sustained Diagnostic Committee in the Region.”

Said committee is chaired by Dr. Yvonne Guinid, NTP medical coordinator. Members were Dr. Veronica Bayong, Dr. Rita Dong-as and Ms. Rose Alunday with Ms. Carmen Mamanao and Leah Bagtang as the committee secretariat.

As gathered from the Department of Health website, “TB is the 6th leading cause of illness and the 6th leading cause of deaths among the Filipinos.”

The 2nd national prevalence survey in 1997 revealed that most TB patients belong to the economically productive age-group (15-54 years old).

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by TB bacteria called the Mycobacterium tuberculosis that primarily affects the lungs. This condition is known as pulmonary tuberculosis.

One can also have tuberculosis in the bones, meninges, joints, genito-urinary tract, liver, kidneys, intestines and heart and this is called extra-pulmonary tuberculosis.