The local government of Antipolo City launched a free chest X-ray medical service on Saturday, June 10, to improve the detection of serious ailments and diseases among the residents as well as their immediate recovery and aid.
According to Antipolo City Mayor Jun Ynares, the city government conducted the free chest X-ray service or the Active Case Finding vs tuberculosis at the Annex Buhanginan covered court in Barangay San Jose where they have detected a number of latent tuberculosis (TB) cases, or infections that have no visible symptoms, among the residents.
"Inilalapit natin ang ating libreng medikal na serbisyo upang mapababa natin ang kaso ng mga namamatay dahil sa TB lalo na ang mga high risks gaya ng ating mga senior citizens, may HIV, may diabetes, persons with disabilities (PWDs), smokers at drivers (We are bringing this free medical service closer to the public for us to mitigate the number of deaths due to TB especially among high risk individuals such as senior citizens, HIV patients, diabetes patients, PWDs, smokers, and drivers)," Ynares said.
The mayor expressed his gratitude to the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PSBP), Culion Foundation, ACCESS TB, Department of Health (DOH), Rizal provincial government, and the Antipolo City Health Office for spearheading the program.
Residents may also contact the Antipolo City Health Office for other inquires and concerns by calling the following numbers: 8697-0362 / 8696-4097, or by messaging their official Facebook page: Antipolo City Health Office.
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease usually caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria which generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in which case it is known as latent tuberculosis.
According to research, around 10 percent of latent infections progress to active disease which, if left untreated, kill about half of those affected.
Typical symptoms of active TB are chronic cough with blood-containing mucus, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Infection of other organs can also cause a wide range of symptoms.
The disease is spread from one person to the next through the air when people who have active TB in their lungs cough, spit, speak, or sneeze. People with latent TB do not spread the disease.
Meanwhile, active infection occurs more often in people with HIV/AIDS and in those who smoke.
Diagnosis of active TB is based on chest X-rays, as well as microscopic examination and culture of body fluids. Diagnosis of Latent TB relies on the tuberculin skin test (TST) or blood tests.
Prevention of TB involves screening those at high risk, early detection and treatment of cases, and vaccination with the bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. Those at high risk include household, workplace, and social contacts of people with active TB.
Treatment requires the use of multiple antibiotics over a long period of time. Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem, with increasing rates of multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).