Sabata, Health Depts meet TB patients
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Anti-Tuberculosis Association Sabah (Sabata) Penampang Branch and the Heath Departments of Penampang and Putatan organised a meet-thepatient session at the Polyclinic Penampang on June 21 and Polyclinic Putatan on June 22.
Sabata gave away food parcels to TB patients who were meticulous in their treatment regime and are now fully cured.
For the past six months, more than 20 patients have received the treatment allowance scheme or TAS in Penampang.
Penampang Health officer and Sabata Penampang Treasurer Dina Marius said there is more detection of TB infection in Penampang and Putatan this year.
She added that it cost the government more than RM10,000 to treat each patient until he or she is cured.
Sabata on its part contributes RM450 per patient in terms of transportation and treatment allowance scheme (TAS) for the six-month compulsory treatment duration.
Sabata Penampang Branch Chairman Sylvester Spiji in his brief speech hoped that the strong cooperation between Sabata and the Health Department would continue so that we would be able to detect, treat and monitor the TB menace in the community.
As a community disease, there is still a social stigma which caused many infected persons from coming forward to be checked and treated accordingly. It takes a minimum of six months on continuous medication to cure a TB infected person.
Spiji urges the people, especially those who are infected to come forward for treatment and prevent spreading and transmitting to other people.
He wants to remind the public that there is nothing to be ashamed of when one is infected with TB because everybody can be infected regardless of their status and standing in society.
Spiji also said that Sabata Penampang Branch will be organising talks in the villages and also schools in Penampang.
He reiterated that prevention is better than cure.
The Health Department has assured Sabata that they will actively participate in all the talks that Sabata is bringing to villages and schools.
Present at the meet-the-patient session at Polyclinic Penampang were Chairman Sylvester Spiji, Deputy Chairman Franky Lobinjang, Secretary Venitha Lojuti, Treasurer Dina Marius and committee members Dr Edwin Bosi and Lucy Jinumis while at Polyclinic Putatan the team was joined by other members, Datuk Goldie Sibidol and Herman Thomlon. The health officers included Dr Sarah Michael (Penampang), Dr Norhafizah Asmat (Putatan), Suani Guraat and Hart Thomas Hinjiang.