The Ghana Health Service has indicated that over 40 cases of a new dangerous type of Tuberculosis have been recorded in the Ashanti region.
Dr Bretum told Kumasi-based Ultimate FM that this type of Tuberculosis is resistant to the normal tuberculosis drugs.
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“We the health professionals on the medical field know it as a dangerous disease but I don’t think the locals in the communities have understood it as such."
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“To able to treat it, victims have to go through daily painful injection for a period of eight months including daily intake of drugs for a period of about 24 months unlike the normal TB treatment which lasts for a period of six months,” she added.
The Head of Chest Clinic at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Dr Anthony Emimil confirmed that his facility has diagnosed a number of such cases for some time now.
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“What makes the disease more dangerous is that, because we combine a lot of drugs in fighting the bacteria, the drugs become toxic in the body of the victim and the side effect is for the victim to lose his or her hearing senses after treatment,” Dr Bretum said.
A nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “my brother the disease is fast spreading in the region, the 40 contracted cases recorded in the region is more than a year. As at now we don’t even know the actual figures, a colleague in this facility has contracted the disease in this facility and as I speak with you she has lost her hearing ability.”
The nurse added that the unfortunate aspect of fighting this disease is that “the bacteria is now growing resistance to drugs because there is always a shortage of TB drugs in the country.”
She said this has become a cause of great worry to most health workers since they are all afraid they may contract the disease.