Lagos Hospital reiterates commitment on linkage coverage for HIV, tuberculosis patients
Patients
By Kemi Akintokun
Lagos, March 14, 2020 (NAN) The Alimosho General Hospital in Lagos State, says it will improve on its linkage coverage toward the patients living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and tuberculosis.
Its Medical Director, Dr Madewa Adebajo, made the remarks while receiving a 20-man delegation from the Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, U.S and Centre for Integrated Health Programme (CIHP) in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the delegation was led by Dr Rotimi Efunloye of CIHP and Dr Pam Bachanas, Technical Adviser, Atlanta Centre for Disease Control.
Adebajo lauded both bodies for fostering treatment of tuberculosis and HIV across the developing nations.
He said: “This particular environment has its feature of dense population and every activity directed toward it reflects progress.
“Moreso, this inherent terrainial influx requires enhanced delivery from support groups, which in spite of uprising challenges, we earnestly hope to ease off on our own in near future,” he said.
Also, Dr Odufunke Odukoya-Maijeh, Director, Clinical Services and Training in the hospital, said that the linkage coverage operation, which had increased to 84 per cent, was due to the commitment of personnel.
Odunkoya-Maijeh said that of the 797 new positive cases of people living with HIV detected, 730 were placed on Anti-Retroviral, while 97 per cent tuberculosis indexes, who accepted their status, were on treatment regime.
According to her, 3,538 patients were on treatment for HIV in April 2019, had risen to 3,794, and they are currently on treatment as at February 2020.
“Tracking becomes paramount following discovery that huge proportionate HIV tested patients usually supply wrong numbers and inaccessible addresses and this makes it difficult to follow-up treatment at curtailing its spread.
“A huge improvement recorded on our linkage system coverage is attributed to the assiduity from staff members who steered at 100 per cent in ensuring timely viral load services from samples taken.
“The strategic 28 days observance of adherence calendar at both entry and exit points, tracking of patients using the Community Health Pharmacies and laboratories as baits.
“They also use bulk SMS and phone calls to remind patients ahead of treatment, as well as home tracing to ensure consistent follow-ups had impacted positively on the linkage coverage,” she said.
Odunkoya-Maijeh noted that the major challenge being experienced to separate the HIV and TB clinical edifice for enhanced assessment and consultation should be worked on.
Commenting, Bachanas urged the hospital to liaise with the private facilities in order to get prompt and adequate information on new cases of HIV and tuberculosis.
According to the technical adviser, such would enable the hospital to expedite 100 per cent score on the data representation of HIV/Tuberculosis index cases in the area.
“I commend the hospital for what they are doing, but there is still room for improvement, so that more HIV and tuberculosis patients can have assess to treatment,” she said.
Also, Efunloye, the Delegation Lead Person/Point of Contact, CIHP Lagos, implored the hospital to utilise the currently trained counsellors churning down through cascade method on personnel.
He said this would help in ensuring qualitative healthcare delivery targeted to curb the spread of HIV and tuberculosis in Alimosho and Lagos at large. (NAN)
KOA/GOK
Edited by Olagoke Olatoye