TB Patients at Bangula Camp Appeal for Consistent Drug Supply
Currently Bangula camp has 4,386 households.
NSANJE, Malawi — Some Cyclone Freddy survivors and TB patients at Bangula camp in Nsanje have urged authorities to ensure that TB drugs are consistently available at the camp, writes Meclina Chirwa.
This was said when the United Nations family in Malawi visited the camp and other areas of implementation to appreciate how UN is contributing to the national development agenda and supporting the people of Malawi to end poverty, promote menstrual hygiene management, promote quality education for boys and girls among others.
Speaking in an interview with AfricaBrief1, one of the patients Alick Lomelo said in the early months of their stay TB patients struggled a lot and majority of them defaulted TB treatment.
“When we came at this place, we had no idea of where to access TB drugs because by then there was literally nothing here in terms of provision of health services. I and six other colleagues defaulted for two months. After that that’s when we were assisted. It was so terrible. However there is no consistency in as far as access to TB drugs is concerned. Sometimes we are asked to go to Kalemba health center where we sometimes pay,” he said.
Another patient Kesikelo Namondo commended the ministry of health for intervening in time despite the existing challenges.
“Indeed there are challenges, as you can see this camp accommodates a lot of people. The other healthcare services are provided without challenges but for us who are on TB treatment we struggle to access drugs,” she said.
Chairperson for the camp Stella Davie said there is an improvement and denied the allegations that there is no consistency regarding the availability of TB drugs.
“The allegations are not true, the issues they are claiming happened in the first days not now. We have a clinic here which provides all services,” she said.
However District Medical Officer for Nsanje Dr Waleke Khumalo said there are no challenges in the camp in terms of access to all healthcare services including TB.
“The cases maybe might be there, but that happened in the early days of their stay here. Since the coming of the clinic, we have not registered any default case because we provide all services including TB and HIV. On top of that we have got a facility close by Kalemba community hospital, it is a paying hospital but TB and HIV services are free. Maybe it is just misinformation on their part,” he narrated.
Currently Bangula camp has 4,386 households.