The National Tuberculosis Programme (NTBP) has made a major step in efficiently diagnosing Tuberculosis (TB) cases following the establishment of a laboratory in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) compound.
According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) release, the laboratory, which is housed next to the Georgetown Chest Clinic, screens patients the same day they are seen by the clinician, as opposed to returning the next day. Previously, test samples were sent to the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPRHL) for processing and this often added to the workload of the facility which in turn caused delays in accessing the results.
The NTBP Secretariat explained that the lab services offered, specifically include the test that detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and resistance to rifampin (RIF) using the GeneXpert machine as well as sputum microscopy.
The GeneXpert is a molecular technique which diagnoses TB by detecting the presence of the bacteria and simultaneously detects the genetic mutation associated with the drug Rifampin. This test is being used to screen patients while the sputum microscopy will assist with monitoring of patients under treatment. Samples requiring drug susceptibility testing will be prepared and forwarded to the NPRHL as with the other 18 sites nationwide.
Other advantages of establishing this new site include early detection of cases, rapid and reliable diagnosis of TB, ensuring patients start effective treatment early, proper monitoring of those undergoing treatment, which in turn leads to reduced transmission in target communities.
The Georgetown Chest Clinic manages the largest number of TB patients, with sixty per cent of all cases in the country diagnosed there; making it necessary for laboratory services to be readily available, the release added.
