TB initiative to roll out in hinterland communities

An initiative of volunteers treating and caring for Tuberculosis (TB) patients to reduce deaths in hinterland communities would soon be launched in Region Eight by the National Tuberculosis Programme.
It would be rolled out to Region One and other hinterland communities with assistance from Global Fund.
This is according to Dr. Jeetendra Mohanlall, Head of the National Tuberculosis Programme, during an interview with this publication yesterday. He enlightened that this project is part of the DOTS (directly observed treatment, short-course) Programme that has been implemented in Guyana for more than 10 years. Dr. Mohanlall said that the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) supported the earlier implementation of DOTS in Regions Three, Four, Six and Ten through the public health in Guyana strengthening project.
According to Dr. Mohanlall, the implementation of this initiative in the hinterland communities is not related to any increase in persons infected with the TB virus. In fact, Region Four is the highest burden with over 60 percent of the TB cases.
He explained that one contributing factor for the high record of TB cases in Region Four is that patients are transferred to Georgetown depending on the severity of their diagnosis and treatment necessary.
However, most of the patients residing in the hinterland are diagnosed at their Regional and District Hospitals. In addition, there are 18 sites across the 10 Administrative Regions that are equipped to diagnose and treat patients.
According to Dr. Mohanlall, through the new initiative the DOTS model used on the coastland would not be employed in the hinterland. He explained on the coastland trained TB outreach workers, called DOTS workers, take pills and oversee patients taking those medications daily for at least six months. Sometimes this process could extend beyond six months with a maximum of 12 months depending on the type of TB.
“We have a big difference in terrain and also the population density so in the hinterland you have small pockets of population. We have to engage more Community Health Workers for the DOTS Programme in the hinterland. We need to see more of them involved with this because we cannot hire a specific person to do DOTS in the hinterland,” he noted.
Dr. Mohanlall said that one of the many challenges the programme encounters is staff not being able to cope with the additional tasks. As such, the hinterland initiative would be employing the services of retired Community Health Worker, medic or nurse living in various hinterland communities as volunteers.
They would be required to oversee patients taking their pills, look out for side effects, guide them, help with making clinic appointments and conduct follow-ups.
According to Dr. Mohanlall, at the end of the six-month period when the TB patients would have been cured the volunteer would receive a hamper worth $6,000 for working with one individual.