High TB cases in Kalangala prisons worry medical workers

If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal. 

What you need to know:

  • Mr Jimmy Kazibwe, the officer-in-charge of TB treatment at Mugoye Health Centre III, said they only have two Gene Xpert machines in the entire district to run all the collected samples.

Health workers have expressed concern over high Tuberculosis (TB) prevalence among inmates in Kalangala District.

Currently, the TB prevalence in the district is 60 percent compared to the national prevalence of 40 percent.

Mr Ian Rick Muhereza, the officer-in-charge of TB monitoring in prisons in the district, said they receive an average of three to four prisoners who test positive for TB every week.

Kalangala has two prisons; one in Mugoye and the other in Kalangala Town Council. 

Mugoye Prison, which is the biggest, has more than 200 inmates who sleep in two small cubicles.

 Kalangala Town Council Prison has 150 inmates.

Mr Muhereza said the alarming prevalence of TB infections in the prisons doesn’t only scare the prisons staff and inmates, but also the community where they serve as casual labourers.

Community at risk

“The rate at which the prisoners interact with the community speeds up the spread of the disease, we need to do something to reduce the possible risks,” he said during an interview on Saturday.  

He revealed that absence of major TB testing equipment is a key challenge to treatment of the disease in the islands.

Mr Jimmy Kazibwe, the officer-in-charge of TB treatment at Mugoye Health Centre III, said they only have two Gene Xpert machines in the entire district to run all the collected samples.

“The Gene Xpert machine  available  currently runs only two samples every two hours instead of four; the other two modules/spaces are faulty and that affects the speed and convenience  at which the work is done,” he said.  

Mr Frank Baine,the Uganda Prisons Services spokesperson, said they are  aware about the TB in Kalangala.

“We actually have a plan to relocate all those inmates   to Masaka to address issues of congestion until a time when we will get enough land in the islands,” Mr Baine said in a telephone interview.

Dr Hillary Bitakaramire, the Kalangala District health officer, said they also have a plan to establish mobile clinics for TB treatment as well as tracing for TB contacts in the identified hotspots.

“We intend to have mobile clinics and frequent outreaches to the Prisons and other hotspots to sensitise the community and let the patients access treatment,” Dr Bitakaramire said.