Koronadal opens regional TB center

Koronadal opens regional TB center
Philippine Information Agency
February 9, 2011

KORONADAL CITY, Feb. 9 (PIA) -- The city government of Koronadal today opened the Regional Treatment Center for Programmatic Management of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis, the only multi-drug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis facility in the region.

The facility was one of the priority concerns of Mayor Peter Miguel when he assumed office last year. He signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Health (DOH), National Lung Center, and the private non-profit foundation Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) National Lung Center for the establishment of MDR treatment center in the city.

Miguel said, he had to push for the establishment of an MDR-TB treatment facility here because residents of the region suffering from the disease need to go to specialized centers such as the National Lung Center in Metro Manila for treatment, which is costly and time consuming.

Treatment of MDR-TB is also more expensive that the usual cases of TB, he added.

In an interview after the MOA signing last year, Miguel said, the MDR treatment center in Koronadal City will effectively hasten the management of control of the increasing number of MDR-TB in the region at much lesser expense on the part of the patient and their families.

Based on the MOA, the city government is only required to provide five medical staff who will run the facility and the building that will house the center as its counterpart in the partnership.

Partner agencies will provide the equipment and machineries, training of the personnel, as well as drugs and medicines for the treatment.

The MOA also stipulates that the treatment center will be turned over to the city government after five years of operation.

Guests during the opening ceremonies include Dr. Vivian Lofranco of the Philippine Lung Center, Dr. Anna Marie Celina Garfin of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control of the Department of Health, and Mr. Eric Camacho of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).