By: Audrey Raymonda John
The Programme Manager for Civil Society Movement Against Tuberculosis, Mohamed Sumura has called on the government through its donor partners to give more support to TB patients across the country.
Manager Samura made this passionate appeal during their engagement with their district corridors on Jones Street in Freetown.
He said the government of President Julius Maada Bio has tried in no small way to ensuring that the health of Tuberculosis patients is boosted but that more needs to be done.
He informed that some TB patients find it very difficult to access centers where they can access drugs, especially in the rural areas.
Mr Sumura noted that some travel several kilometers to access the drug, informing that some patients don’t have the financial strength to do so.
According to him TB patients used to have food at the various DOT centers, but that has been stopped for a while now.
He therefore called on the government through its donor partners to help them provide food supplies, so that the TB patients can recover quickly while taking their drugs.
According to Manager Sumura, CISMAT-SL is also facing problem of district animators as according to him they sometimes have challenges of paying those people in the rural communities.
He also highlighted the issue of conducive environment of DOT centres, as according to him some centers are very cold and most of the TB related cases are reported to have been bacteria transmitted related.
He maintained also that most centers need Lab equipment like, microscope, scale, reagent among others.