KARACHI, March 21: In order to increase awareness among general public regarding the diagnostic and treatment facilities available in the metropolis , the directorate of tuberculosis control has issued a directory of tuberculosis diagnostic and treatment centres under the instructions of the Secretary Health Ashiq Hussain Memon.

The directory, which includes the position of each town along with contact numbers, will enable care providers to refer TB patients to the centres closest to their homes and reduce their travelling costs.

According to the directory, the DOTS diagnostic centres are available in Civil Hospital Karachi; Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre; Services Hospital Karachi; Shaukat Omer Memorial Hospital; Sindh government hospitals located in Orangi, Liaquatabad, Korangi, Saudabad and Ibrahim Haidry; Leprosy Hospital in Manghopir and Fatima Baqai Leprosy Clinic in Gadap.

In addition, diagnostic centres have also been established in Rural Health Centre (RHC), Keamari; RHC Sher Shah; Hasrat Mohani Complex in Site; Urban Health Centre, Baldia; KMC Dispensary, Orangi; Juma Himayaty Goth, Bin Qasim; RHC Murad Memon Goth; Samanabad Dispensary; MCH Centre in PIB Colony; Staff Clinic, Jamshed Town; Maternity Home, Korangi No.2; Urban Health Centre, Landhi; MCH Centre, Liaquatabad; Primary Health Care Centre, Lyari; Town Health Office in Sector-II of New Karachi; dispensaries in Delhi Colony; Staff Clinic in Saddar Town, and Shah Faisal Colony No. 2.

Moreover, five satellite clinics of Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases located at Lyari, Malir, Orangi, North Nazimabad and the institute itself are catering a large numbers of TB patients.

Under the Sindh TB Control Programme, Dr Iqtedar Ali has also started developing links with prominent NGOs and private sector institutions including Baqai Medical University, Behbud organization, Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre, HOPE, Feroza Hashmi Trust, Al Mustafa Medical Centre, Bantva Hospital with a view to further facilities TB patients.

The directory is being circulated on the eve of the World TB Day, which will be falling on March 24. Based on the objectives outlined earlier, the theme suggested for the World TB Day 2004 is "Every Breath Counts: Stop TB Now."

The theme is quite relevant for Sindh, where a total of 22,807 TB patients were registered under DOTS including 7,889 smear positive patients who could also infect others.

This shows that more than 32 per cent of the estimated new cases of tuberculosis were detected by the programme during 2003 despite the fact that DOTS expansion was taking place only in certain districts of Sindh.

The efforts to make such directory, which would help greatly in accessing TB Diagnostic and Treatment Centres, has been highly appreciated at the federal and provincial levels. -APP