MEDICAL tourism providers who assist travellers in planning their medical travel should advice their clients who are suspected of tuberculosis (TB) not to seek treatment in Penang, state Health, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry and Rural development Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin said.
Dr Afif said TB cases have been on the rise throughout the whole country over the years.
“TB cases are not confined to just Penang. However, medical tourism is one of the contributors.
“We have travellers who have TB in their original country coming to Penang to seek treatment.
“According to the international guideline, they are not supposed to travel and are supposed to get treated in their own country.
“We are not able to determine whether these travellers have TB or not at our entry point, due to logistical problems and arrangements,” Dr Afif told a press conference in Komtar today.
Dr Afif said: “Those who are doing medical tourism should advise their agents or counterparts to inform the travellers who are suspected of TB not to seek treatment in Penang.”
He also spoke about the risk of exposure.
“Private hospitals can also play their role by disseminating messages to urge suspected TB carriers to seek treatment in their own country,” he added.
Dr Afif said TB is not an acute disease.
“It is a chronic disease and can be identified through health symptoms such as prolonged cough, unintentional weight loss, and others. TB screening is available at health clinics in the state,” he said.
He also advised the public to be more alert and seek medical treatment if they are suspected of having TB.
With regard to the death of a 19-year-old girl from a secondary school here, Dr Afif said the cause of death has yet to be determined.
“We shall wait for the results from the state Health Department,” he said.
The girl was reported to have had severe bouts of cough, which led to doctors to suspect TB.
Also present were Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and state Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi
Video by Ahmad Adil Muhamad