Capiz anti-TB program gets boost
Roxas City -- Service providers in the far-flung areas of Capiz were trained on sputum smearing to help in the tuberculosis (TB) control program of the government.
According to Dr. Evelyn Bolido of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) of Capiz, some 26 rural health midwives and barangay health workers in Tapaz town underwent a training on sputum smearing to provide greater access to their residents on health services, particularly in TB control program.
The training of service providers in hard-to-reach barangays is one of the program activities of the provincial government of Capiz to help combat the sixth leading cause of illness and death among Filipinos.
Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya recently disclosed that the government is doubling its TB control budget to P280 million next year.
Andaya said that the 100 percent hike in the funds of the Department of Health (DOH) for its TB control program will allow the government to procure more anti-TB drugs, which are mainly administered to patients through the proven Directly-Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS).
The TB control budget of the DOH is just one of the sources of funding in the fight against TB, Andaya said, pointing out that government hospitals and many local government units (LGUs) have their own resources.
The provincial government of Capiz last year had earmarked some P198,000.00 budget for its TB control program, while this year the budget is P286,000.00, Bolido revealed.
(PIA)