Doing his Bit for World TB Day?

March 24^th each year is World TB day, when we are reminded that of the 9 million who contract TB each year, 3 million are ‘missed’ and are therefore untreated, and most of whom die. Many of these are from poor communities such as in Uganda.

http://www.who.int/campaigns/tb-day/2014/event/en/

Malcolm had assumed that as he had been given a BCG vaccination at school he was safefrom TB. Not so, apparently. About 5 weeks ago he started coughing, and after 4 weeks he was advised to get a chest X-Ray to make sure it was not caused by a lung infection,such as TB.

Fortunately the hospital has an X-Ray machine which, although 30 years old is still working well. This means it produces traditional photographic X-rays unlike the digital images we are used to in England. The Radiographer, Bernard, quickly manoeuvred Malcolm into the correct position, having decided the rear was his best view.

Just a few minutes later the image had been printed, and we are pleased to report that no problem was found. TB? Just another case of man-flu. (Malcolm's comment is 'Cough Cough, splutter splutter' - he would say that! )

 

However, the contribution from the Daily Mail this week may mean it’s a type of cat-flu!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2590699/Two-British-people-contract-tuberculosis-contact-cat-recorded-cases-cat-human-transmission.html)

Looking for further advances in medical science and maybe find a cure for TB Malcolm went to cut a piece of bread and discovered the loaf was a potential source of new mould, or perhaps penicillin replacement? Perhaps not.

 

There was more excitement this week when a container arrived from America from one of the hospital’s funders. For many years ISIS have funded the maternity and baby Intensive Care Unit. Part of this support is to send a container of essential equipment and supplies which is gratefully received and attracts a crowd of interested people.

 

 

This week’s Proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from Somalia: “The absence of knowledge is the absence of light”