Hospital Diagnoses 8,000 TB Cases In 10 Years

THE Management of St Kizito Clinic, Lagos, has said about 8,000 tuberculosis patients have received treatment support at the directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS) centre located at the clinic in the past 10 years.

Disclosing this recently during donation of Blood Chemistry Auto Analyser machine by Chevron Nigeria Limited to the hospital, the hospital said 1,200 patients, out of 8,000 patients, were treated successfully since the centre was established in 2005.

Speaking on the feat, General Manager of Loving Gaze (managers of the clinic), Barbara Pepoli, said the one-stop centre has ensured that patients undergoing treatment within the facility have limited possibility of defaulting treatment due to multiple hospital visits in different geographical locations. Nigeria is among countries with a high burden of tuberculosis.

Over eight per cent of the national TB burden is reported by Lagos State. St Kizito Clinics are located in Jakande, Lekki, Idi-Araba, Mushin and Oreta in Lagos. The clinic has contributed to the fight against TB since its inception.

The effort was recognised by the Lagos State Ministry of Health, which formally designated the clinic as a TB/DOTS site operating under Federal Ministry of Health guidelines on TB.

Pepoli said the Blood Chemistry Auto Analyser machine would go a long way in improving the healthcare services render by St Kizito Clinic to TB patients, because it will hasten complete screening of data sets of blood cells, qualitatively and quantitatively.

Pepoli said: “We are grateful to Chevron Nigeria Limited because this equipment will strengthen diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with complications from TB and TB associated diseases.

“St Kizito Clinic, as a DOTS facility, provides access to doctors and other medical care for the diagnosis and treatment of HIV (the commonest opportunistic infection with TB), malaria, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and other communicable and non-communicable diseases.

A one-stop management for parents undergoing treatment within the facility thereby limits the possibility of defaulting treatment due to multiple hospital visits in different geographical locations.”

On his part, General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Deji Haastrup, explained that the donation is in line with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)/Chevron Joint Ventures tradition of care, which includes a robust health programme as part of its corporate responsibility obligations.