Several paramedical health professionals at St Luke’s Hospital are concerned about the lack of information provided by the authorities about patients with TB.

A few months ago, a group of health professionals heard rumours that a large number of people were tested for TB and several were positive and had to undergo intensive treatment.

Concerned about their health, the whole group took a TB test.

One of the health professionals was found positive for TB and had to take preventive treatment of antibiotics for three months.

The health professional concerned suggested taking his partner for the TB test – especially since she is also a health professional who is in close contact with patients. However, much to his surprise he was informed by the Chest Clinic not to create any panic and not to bring queues of people for tests.

Paramedical health professionals are annoyed that they are not informed which patients at St Luke’s have TB and that the reaction of the Chest Clinic was to keep the issue hushed up.

“We are not informed which patients in the wards have TB although they can infect other patients and their visiting relatives – we got to know casually,” said a health professional.

According to the annual report issued by the Disease Surveillance Unit, there were 23 new cases of TB notified in 2004.

These were divided into: six pulmonary TB cases in Maltese nationals, 11 pulmonary TB cases in foreigners, three extra-pulmonary TB cases in Maltese nationals and three extra-pulmonary TB cases in foreigners.

The report states that refugees and illegal immigrants from countries where TB is still common and foreign workers in countries with a high incidence of TB develop the disease after their arrival and are the main factors contributing to the rise of TB.

The report states, “Although TB is in control in Malta, there must be increased awareness of TB as a re-emerging disease.”

“The Department of Public Health, through its Chest Unit at Qormi Health Centre will continue to adopt active measures of surveillance, prevention and control,” it concluded.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that every second someone in the world is infected with TB and one third of the world’s population is infected with TB. More than 20,000 people develop active TB and 5000 die of the disease every day.