The Department of Health (DOH) – Cordillera region targets to extend free tuberculosis (TB) testing initially to about 56,771, or more than 3 percent, of the region’s 1,857,123 population.

Joycelyn Rillorta, Nurse V and DOH-Cordillera focal person for the TB program, in a media interview on Thursday, said their artificial intelligence-capable tuberculosis (TB) mobile clinic is scheduled to go around the region this month and geographically isolated and depressed areas (GIDA) will be included on the next list.

From March 1 to 27, a TB caravan using the AI-equipped mobile clinic will be in the towns of Sagada and Besao in Mountain Province; Pudtol in Apayao; Pilar, Lacub, Penarrubia, and Tubo in Abra; Itogon in Benguet; Kiangan, Gawe and Mayoyao in Ifugao; and Barangay Loakan this city.

“We are bringing the services closer to the people, especially because we cannot expect them to undergo screening or testing for TB even if they already have symptoms,” Rillorta said.

Grassroots testing is important considering the positivity rate registered during the testing done for public utility drivers and construction workers in this city in the last week of February.

Rillorta said 23 of the 162 individuals tested turned out positive for the virus that causes TB.

“They will undergo gene expert test and if confirmed, they will be provided with the free treatment provided by the government,” she said.

Rillorta said testing is also being done in TB – directly observed therapy (TB DOTS) clinics in government-run health centers.

“Kailangan nang mag active case file para ma-catch natin ang mga may TB, maiwasan na lumala na pwedeng humantong sa kamatayan (We need to have an active case file so that we can catch TB carriers and prevent the condition of a person from worsening that could lead to death),” she said.

As of January, at least 13.53 percent of the 251,241 population in Abra have been tested; 6.85 percent of the 127,176 population in Apayao; and 25.71 percent of the 477,423 population in Benguet.

Also, 17.22 percent of the 212,579 population in Ifugao have been tested; 12.96 percent of the 240,365 population in Kalinga; 8.75 percent of the 162,512 population in Mountain Province; and 20.51 percent of the 380,527 population in Baguio City. (PNA)