Hope for TB Patients

GeneXpert Machine at ST. Martin De Porres Catholic General Hospital Njinikom

Benjamin Ngah

              Tuberculosis has stubbornly remained one of those diseases common amongst those whose immune system has been weakened probably because of HIV/AIDS. Commonly and most often mistaken by many people as cough until a test is performed, TB, as it is commonly called is a bacterial infection that can spread through the lymph nodes and bloodstream to any organ in your body. It is most often found in the lungs.

                  According to Dr. Eugene Chiabi, chief medical officer for St Martin De Poress Catholic General Hospital Njinikom most people who are exposed to TB never develop symptoms because the bacteria can live in an inactive form in the body. But if the immune system weakens, such as in people with HIV or elderly adults, TB bacteria can become active. In their active state, TB bacteria can cause death of tissue in the organs they infect. Active TB disease can be fatal if left untreated.

Dr. Eugene thinks that in the past years, there has been an upsurge in the number of TB cases due especially to HIV/AIDS that has become pandemic in most communities. According to him, most patients under treatment in his hospital who are HIV positive and whose immune systems have been weaken have TB and are undergoing thorough treatment.

Acquisition of GeneXpert Machine at ST Martin De Porres Hospital

The thorough treatment of patients who show signs of TB has been made quite effective and precise because of the acquisition of the GeneXpert Machine thanks to cooperation with the TB Reach Program and the Government of Cameroon via the Bameda General Hospital. The gadget is a cartridge-based, automated diagnostic test machine that can identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) DNA and resistance to rifampicin (RIF) by nucleic acid amplification technique (NAAT). It is more effective with about 75% sensitivity level according to Dr. Eugene, and as such more cases which might never have been diagnose are being diagnose for treatment easily. It should be recalled that, in most hospital where this gadget is not yet available, traditional symptoms like the cough, fever, weight loss or night fever are still awaited before conclusions are drawn after a screening of the semen. This method, according to Dr. Eugene was often at times bogus and detrimental to the patient. With the GeneXpert gadget, diagnosis is faster since patients do not need to have a cough before they are screened and the patient can start early treatment if detected with the mycobacterium tuberculosis, and with more hope.

Availability of TB Drugs in the Hospital

Immediately a patient is diagnose to be TB positive, Dr. Eugene says the hospital has  enough variety of drugs to cater for the patients. Treatment according to him last generally for six months. The first two months has to do with intensive care and treatment while during the last four months the patient is administered just with a normal dosage of two kinds of drugs.

The matron of St Martin De Porres Catholic Hospital Njinikom, Sis Olive Marie Nga thinks that apart from treating TB patients, the hospital makes sure that the stigmatization of patients is done away with. According her, the hospital will continue to uphold ethics and place all patients at the centre of all hospital activities knowing that they treat and God Heals.