CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga- Some 1,568 tuberculosis patients (TB) from the 1st and 2nd districts received cash and food assistance from the provincial government in ceremonies held on Wednesday, May 10, at the Bren Z Guiao Convention Center.
Vice Governor Lilia ‘Nanay’ Pineda led the distribution of assistance on behalf of Governor Dennis’ Delta’ Pineda to personally look over the condition of the patients undergoing medication.
She thanked the Department of Health (DOH) for extending efforts to provide the medication needs of more than 3,000 recorded patients in the province’s Rural Health Units (RHUs).
According to her, more than political support, patients must also elevate efforts to cure themselves to lessen the risks of TB within communities.
“Ing panabilin ku mu pu kekayu, eyu la sana kakaligtaan deng panulu yu. Adyang nanung malyari inuman yu la bang galing kayu. Kasi kung mig-skip kayu pilang aldo, ekayu mipaldan. Lala kayu pota miconvert ya pa yang cancer baga,” said Vice Governor Nanay.
To boost advocacy efforts to fight TB, patients also underwent educational talks on preventing and curing the disease.
The DOH reported 311,000 tuberculosis cases in the country in 2021 based on the National TB Registry.
Experts advise patients to seek early treatment if symptoms already persist.
“Isa talaga ang Pilipinas sa may pinakamaraming incidence ng tuberculosis. Sa sampung pasyenteng pumunta sa mga ospital, nasa 6 hanggang pito out of 10 ang positibo sa Tuberculosis. One reason is siguro sa kaalaman ng mga tao, hindi nila alam na mayroon na pala silang tuberculosis. Madalas kasi wala silang symptoms, malalaman na lang nila minsan kapag may x-ray findings na sila. Tanggalin dapat natin ang stigma sa TB, dapat kung may nararamdaman na sila ay magpakonsulta na doctor,” said, Dr Kristine Juico-Dungo, a pulmonologist.
Each beneficiary received cash assistance worth P3,500, medicines, and food packs from the provincial government.
“Simula ng magka TB ako, 6 months ago, natigil na ako sa pagtatrabaho. Kaya napakalaking tulong itong binigay nila sa amin para kahit papaano ay may maiuwi at makabawi man lang ako sa pamilya ko,” said Wilson Enjape, a TB patient.
1,641 TB patients from the 3rd and 4th districts received the same assistance the other day.
The World Health Organization (DOH) defines TB as an illness brought on by a bacterium that damages the lungs. It is the 13th leading cause of death and the second leading infectious killer after Covid-19 worldwide.
