The City of Manila, through the Manila Health Department, is offering free chest X-ray scans on its mobile clinic deployed in various public markets in the city as part of its tuberculosis (TB) screening in the workplace initiative.
Among the vendors who availed of the mobile chest X-ray checkup at the Obrero Public Market in Sta. Cruz, Manila were vendors "Jonathan" and "Josefina."
“Bawal magkasakit (We should not get sick),” said Jonathan, 52-year-old meat vendor.
Jonathan, a self-confessed heavy smoker, said his day- to-day work makes it hard for him to get annual check-up that's why he took the opportunity to avail of the city’s free chest X-ray scan.
“It was surprising that there is a health project like this. This is a good example of reaching the unreached,” said Josefina, 74, president of the Obrero Market Vendors’ Association.
“If found to have TB, we could immediately start the treatment and prevent the spread of TB in the family,” she said.
Both Jonathan and Josephine were found to be not presumptive of TB.
Jonathan then also encouraged other vendors to avail of the free service which he described as “hassle-free.”
Claire Nuguit, one of the market supervisors, said she thought it would be challenging to invite vendors to get their free chest X-ray scans but many lined up for the free service.
“Even non-vendors wanted to avail of the chest X-ray scan,” she said.
Around 100 vendors from Obrero Market received their free chest X-ray scans last May 23.
A total of 21 individuals who were found to be presumptive of TB were immediately requested to have their sputum submitted.
If confirmed with TB via this test, they would be enrolled for treatment immediately.
The deployment of mobile chest X-ray vans is part of a concerted effort to find and treat as many individuals as possible who are presumptive of (TB, especially in the workplace settings.
The mobile chest X-ray vans, from the Department of Health (DOH) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), are equipped with an artificial intelligence (AI) software that is able to detect presumptive TB cases in as little as five minutes.
“The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected our local TB program. We are now trying to bounce back by bringing these TB services like chest X-ray screening closer to where Manila residents are,” said Dr. Julieta Recidoro, head of the Office of TB Control and Prevention Division of the Manila Health Department.
Recidoro noted the collaboration of the Manila local government unit and workplaces, including public markets in the city to ensure that their workplace is a healthy place.
“It is important to really plan together with the local government unit (LGU) and the DOH because just making these mobile chest x-ray vans available onsite is only one part of the whole package,” said Dr. Maria Lourdes Barrameda, regional area manager of USAID’s TB Innovations and Health Systems Strengthening Project.
The mobile chest X-ray van was also deployed to Dagonoy, San Andres, Paco, Sta.Ana, Pritil, Wagas, Basilio, Pampanga, Bambang, Quinta, Aranque, Trabajo Sampaloc, Baseco, Central, and Divisoria markets.