BATANGAS CITY -- Hundreds of island residents in Batangas’ 5th class geographically-isolated town of Tingloy have expressed elation as the Department of Health (DOH) regional office in Calabarzon and devolved health units launched their first Tuberculosis-Free Island Initiative and the medical mission and health caravan.
Dubbed as “TANGLAW” which stands for “TB Agapan, Ngayon Lunasan at Wakasan,” the first TB-free island initiative aims to eliminate tuberculosis in island municipalities of the region comprising Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon through provisions of adequate and responsive delivery of healthcare services.
DOH Regional Director Dr. Eduardo Janairo disclosed over the weekend that their pioneering health initiative focuses on decreasing the burden and in achieving a zero-catastrophic cost of TB-related diseases.
Janairo disclosed that the regional health office has chosen to launch “TANGLAW” in Tingloy island, including Maricaban Island, Caban Island and other minor islets south of the Calumpang Peninsula, due to Tingloy town’s ranking among Calabarzon areas where cases of tuberculosis are high and at an increasing rate.
The DOH Calabarzon “TANGLAW” initiative aims to seek, treat, prevent and finally put an end to tuberculosis; and achieve TB-free status not only in the island municipalities but in the entire region as part of the commitment to the 2017-2022 Philippine Strategic TB Elimination Plan.
Scores of the island population of around 20,000 have also availed of the three-day free surgical and medical mission under the auspices of the DOH-Calabarzon, Batangas provincial government, and Tingloy Municipal Health Office (MHO) from May 1-3, 2019 at the town’s covered court.
“We have chosen to start the project at Tingloy because it is one of the areas in Calabarzon where cases of tuberculosis are high and continuous to increase. We have to include the municipality of Mabini, Batangas because it is the entry point of the people (travelling to Tingloy island) and this is one of the factors which may be the source of the TB transmission,” Janairo explained.
Janairo and DOH Assistant Secretary Maria Francia Laxamana led health and local government officials in the ceremonial lighting of the “TANGLAW” Torch to signify the start of the campaign for a TB-free island initiative.
Laxamana congratulated the DOH-Calabarzon through the leadership of Janairo for conceptualizing essential health programs for various provinces and leading the department in providing reforms needed by the people.
For his part, Janairo assured hundreds of Tingloy residents of more health services, including the construction of a hospital that will cater for their health needs right at the island.
“It is important that they have this health facility so that they will no longer travel by sea to go to the mainland nearest health center for their medical needs and concerns,” he added, citing there are 69 TB positive patients in the island.
He also disclosed there are additional 21 positive cases identified from January to April 30, 2019, and directed these cases should be strictly monitored and given immediate treatment so they will not infect their families and the community.
The Calabarzon regional health director also vowed for a massive TB screening of all the population of the island, from children to adult, who should be diagnosed and treated promptly to keep the illness from progressing and prevent further spread of infection in the community.
“We will also establish a database of the patients and mapping system so that we could set up a geographical information system and visual presentation of the TB cases in the area for us to keep track and provide the necessary medical intervention,” he said, stressing the need to ensure continuous of TB treatment until its completion.
Health statistics revealed that Calabarzon is the top three among regions with the highest number of TB cases next to Region 3 (Central Luzon), with National Capital Region having the highest on record.
The health department aims to reduce TB deaths by 95 percent and lower new cases of TB by 90 percent by the year 2035, owing to health data where an estimated 1 million Filipinos are TB patients and about 60 Filipinos die of the disease every day.
According to the 2018 Regional National Tuberculosis Control Program, there are a total of 53,275 TB cases, where 45,611 of these are new cases and 7,664 are retreatment cases.
Health officials also informed that TB easily spreads from person-to-person contact through the air and could be transmitted when a TB positive person cough, sneezes and speaks, and the bacteria released into the air could stay for hours and cause the infection.
They also advised those who have been infected to seek immediate checkup by a doctor, citing the TB disease continues to cause deaths in the country.
The three-day medical mission and surgical mission provided Tingloy residents with various services, such as on random blood sugar (RBS), body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) measurement, urinalysis, hemoglobin testing, newborn screening blood testing, circumcision, dental service, medical consultation, pregnancy check-up, smoking cessation seminar, and provision of multivitamins and medicines for children and essential and maintenance medicines for adults.
The health caravan also provided dental and buntis (pregnant) kits; assistive devices such as wheelchairs and crutches for persons with disabilities (PWDs), and a flat television set donated to the municipal health center for their health promotional programs and activities. (PNA)
