Government to buy TB detection machines
Tuberculosis patients at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital on Tuesday. PHOTO BY RACHEL MABALA
Health minister Elioda Tumwesigye has said government will buy 48 GeneXpert machines used to detect and combat multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (TB).
Speaking at national celebrations to commemorate the World TB Day, where he represented President Museveni, Dr Tumwesigye said the 48 new GeneXpert machines will boost the 74 already deployed in the regional referral hospitals across the country.
“These machines will help in the identification and testing of the bacteria that causes TB. We are working towards zero spread of TB in the country,” Dr Tumwesigye said at the celebrations held at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu Town on Monday.
This year’s celebrations were marked with the theme: “Reach the 60,000 patients in Uganda.” The day’s slogan was, “Find, Test, Treat and Sure for All.” The minister said the machines will be purchased with funding from the Global Fund for combating tuberculosis.
He disclosed that government is to upgrade and install more sophisticated medical equipment at four selected regional referral hospitals in Gulu, Mbarara, Mbale and Arua to improve the fight against the spread of tuberculosis.
“We wish to tell Ugandans that there should be no more TB infection rate and zero death from TB,” said Dr Tumwesigye.
He noted that the TB prevalence rate in the country has significantly dropped as a result of the hard work by the government. “For instance, from 1990 to 2013, the TB incidence reduced from 624 to 166 new TB cases per 100,000 population and the prevalence reduced from 492 to 154 TB case per 100,000 population,” he said.
However, Mr Alfred Atube, a medical laboratory technologist at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, said the hospital should be given an extra GeneXpert machine because the one they have is not functioning well. “Only one chamber of the machine is functional. This affects the numbers of sputum samples tested in a day. It was handling 18 samples a day when it was just brought but currently it only handles six samples,” Mr Atube said.
Mr Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, the Gulu District chairman, said a key fundamental challenge is the inadequate supply of TB drugs, and lack of adequate isolation units at the hospital. He pointed out that the hospital also lacks transport, particularly motorcycles to enable supervision and follow up of TB cases.
“Given adequate funding to address these gaps, the management of TB in Gulu District will cease to be such a big challenge,” Mr Ojara observed.
According to Dr Paul Onek, the Gulu District health officer, Gulu is currently hosting 32 multiple drug resistant patients. He advised the residents to support TB patients to adhere to their drugs and complete treatment on time.
ABOUT MACHINE
According to the World Health Organisation, GeneXpert machine is a cartridge-based, automated diagnostic test that can identify mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).
The machine provides the platform for initial diagnosis of people with suspected drug-resistant TB and for all people living with HIV/Aids in whom TB is presumed. The test is highly-accurate, users require minimal training and results are available to health workers within two hours.
