AusAID opens TB ward in Western

AUSAID will reduce the threat of tuberculosis infection in Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait by opening a specialist tuberculosis ward in Daru Hospital and begin a new community programme to detect and cure the disease in Western province.
As part of a wide range of initiatives being undertaken to support PNG’s health authorities, AusAID director-general Peter Baxter yesterday opened a temporary TB isolation ward that will be used until a permanent ward upgrade and extension is completed early next year.
“The new hospital facility is part of an A$8 million (K17.8 million)package of AusAID measures to improve services for tuberculosis sufferers in the Western province,” Baxter said.
“A number of measures to improve the detection and treatment of TB in Western have already been completed.
“The temporary TB ward is operational and will ensure PNG patients transferring their treatment from Torres Strait clinics receive their specialist care and a cure close to home.
“A communications centre at the hospital is operational and is supporting TB management and referrals by radio, including from the Torres Strait clinics. 
“A TB physician and TB programme coordinator funded by AusAID are now working at the hospital to improve the management of TB in Daru and conduct mobile outreach clinics to provide sick people with the treatment they need along the South Fly coast. 
“A hire boat is conducting outreach clinics and emergency transportation along the South Fly Coast, until a purpose built sea ambulance is completed next month.
“AusAID has purchased a year’s supply of TB drugs to manage multi-drug resistant TB so that patients handed over to Western from Torres Strait clinics can complete their treatment.
“The new TB ward, to be completed by early next year, includes a six-bed multi-drug resistant isolation ward and a 16-bed TB ward built and equipped to World Health Organisation standards.
“We will replace the existing X-ray unit at Daru hospital and install equipment that provides a diagnosis of multi drug-resistant TB within two hours.”
Baxter said AusAID would support World Vision in a new three-year programme called Stop TB in Western province that will detect and cure TB and support the province to strengthen its health system.
“The goal of the Stop TB in Western province programme is to identify at least 70% of people in the province with infectious TB and cure at least 85% of those diagnosed,” Baxter said.
“The programme will train volunteers to monitor TB patients taking their daily medication, which is critical to reducing drug resistance. Health workers will be trained in early intervention techniques and the case management of patients.
“A community awareness campaign will teach people about TB symptoms and the importance of completing a full course of treatment.
“The TB physician and coordinator are currently involved in a series of handover clinics being held in the Torres Strait to transfer PNG patients who have been treated by Australian clinics into their care, and began outreach clinics to the South Fly coast in November last year.
“Most of the TB patients who have been transferred back to the care of Western by Australian health authorities have lived in or around Daru.
“The sea ambulance, more TB medication, the mobile clinics and a better referral system will allow the provincial health authorities to extend TB services to villages all along the South Fly coast,” Baxter said.