Date: 2018-04-05

The Kwara Government has urged residents of the state to avail themselves of the free Tuberculosis (TB) screening and treatment offered by it.

The Permanent Secretary, Kwara Ministry of Health, Mr Olaitan Adefila, made the call on Wednesday in Ilorin at a workshop organised by the ministry on the dangers of the disease.

Adefila said that with adequate measures taken by government and its partners against TB, it was expected that nobody should die of the disease again in the state.

He reminded the people that TB could be detected and treated free if they got screened.

According to him, any death resulting from TB in the state would be assumed a "self-inflicted suicide," since adequate care had been taken to prevent such death in the state.

"If anybody dies of the disease today in Kwara, we will presume it is a suicide and believe that the condition in the state does not warrant committing suicide.

"So, our people should leverage on the opportunity given by government and its supporters to ensure that they are TB free," he said.

Earlier, the Director of Public Health in the ministry, Dr Oluwatosin Fakayode, described TB as a chronic disease that had no respect for anybody or status.

Fakayode called on the people of the state to undergo the free test to ensure early detection and treatment.

The state TB and Leprosy Control Official, Dr Muhammad Oyeniyi, said that people could get free test and treatment for TB across the three senatorial districts of the state.

He listed the hospitals and health centres where the residents could receive free TB services to include General Hospital Ilorin, Sobi Specialist Hospital and Civil Service Hospital.

Others are General Hospital Kaiama, Jebba Specialist Hospital, General Hospital Omu-aran, General Hospital Offa, General Hospital Erinle and General Hospital Patigi, among others.