Miners in Karonga demand more frequent TB screening
By Wezzie Mwangonde, AfricaBrief
Miners in Karonga District are calling for more frequent tuberculosis (TB) screening, saying the current once-a-year schedule is not enough to protect them from the disease.
The miners say that they are at high risk of TB because of the dusty conditions in the mines.
They also say that they often share living quarters with other miners, which can make it easy for the disease to spread.
Occupational Health and Safety Officer at Kasikizi Coal Mine, Godfrey Chawalanga Ndhlovu, says that the mine provides workers with safety masks, gumboots, and work suits, but that more needs to be done to protect them from TB.
“We would like to encourage the Ministry of Health to frequently visit the mining site and screen the workers,” Ndhlovu said. “In case someone is found to be microbe-positive, we can know the way forward.”
Investment Manager at Lisikwa Coal Mine, John Msiska, says that his mine has a good collaboration with health personnel and that TB volunteers visit the site regularly for sputum collection and civic education on TB.
However, Msiska says that he would like to see health personnel visit the site more frequently.
“Our mining site is close to the health centre,” Msiska said. “We would like to encourage health personnel to frequently visit us.”
TB Officer at Karonga District Hospital, Henry Nyirenda, says that limited resources have contributed to the reduction in the number of visits to mining sites in the district.
“According to the programme, mine workers are supposed to be screened after every six months, and inspections are to be done after three months in a year,” Nyirenda said. “However, we only visit the mining sites once a year because we rely on the programme of the Ministry of Mining and other stakeholders.”
The miners in Karonga are hoping that government will increase the frequency of TB screening in the district.
They say that this is essential to protect workers from the disease and to prevent the spread of TB to other people.