Over 11,000 Tuberculosis patients annually

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

Every year around 11,000 new Tuberculosis (TB) patients are discovered and 2,000 of them are from Colombo. Out of this number, 1,000 are detected from the Colombo Municipality, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said.

Addressing the gathering after opening a Direct Observation Treatment Centre (DOT) at Asiri Hospital, Colombo yesterday Minister Sirisena said the rapidly increasing population in the Colombo city, environmental pollution, and similar reasons are behind the increasing number of TB patients in the Colombo city. In the early nineties, TB was a scary disease that could not be cured. But now TB can be completely cured within six months with proper treatment.

Minister Sirisena pointed out that private and public sectors should join hands to deliver a better service to the public. President Mahinda Rajapaksa's Government always promotes the partnership between State and private sector. A healthy society can be created with the participation of both the State and private sector.

People like to visit private hospitals when they are concerned about their privacy and the confidentiality. Therefore they like to get treatment for TB from private hospitals than State hospitals.

Health Ministry officials, representatives and staff of Asiri Hospital and many others were present.