HILARY HOSIA
The Ministry of Health and Human Services is set to roll out a mass TB and leprosy screening program on Majuro starting the first week of June — which is why hospital administrators have been hosting meetings with traditional leaders, the local government, NGOs and government heads the past two weeks.
In a meeting with NGOs and community members at the International Conference Center last Thursday, Minister Kalani Kaneko said the project aims to screen 100 percent of Majuro’s population — the target is 26,000 people.
“Everyone who resides on Majuro during the screening dates will be tested for TB and leprosy, even those who are visiting,” Kalani said. “The project is everyone’s responsibility.
And once we identify those affected with TB and leprosy, we have to help push them to take their medication.”
He said the project is estimated to cost $2.1 million and would run from early June until September. Health Assistant Secretary Mailynn Lang and staff Paul Alee invited the assembly to lend a hand during the project, whether big or small.
Mailynn explained that the new Health Information System will be used during the screening, which requires individuals to input their fingerprints into the system for ongoing medical record identification. Registration for the hospital’s new system will take place during the screening phase. This was done for Ebeye’s big TB/leprosy screening program last year.
Read more about this in the May 18, 2018 edition of the Marshall Islands Journal.