NGOMA – Kibungo Chronic Tuberculosis clinic which had initially been shunned by the public has now won the support of residents in the area.People around the hospital neighborhood had feared that their close proximity to it would expose them to the disease.Harriet Kantengwa, a resident of Kibungo town and a neighbour to the clinic, said that when the patients were brought in, residents feared they would get infected.“TB is the most feared disease here; imagine when a chronic disease is at your door step. We thought we would all die since it is an air born disease…but it’s now almost a year and nobody has been infected,” she noted.Alex Ntabajyana, another resident, noted that TB used to force patients into isolation, hence making it difficult for them to find support. He is delighted his brother, who was once hospitalized at the clinic, has recovered from the disease.“My brother is now a healthy and energetic man…I am happy to live in a district that can provide treatment for TB patients. The presence of the clinic is not a community curse but a blessing,” he said.Dr William Namanya, the Director of the hospital, confirmed that TB phobia had been eating up the whole community until recently. He said that since the department was introduced, the population in the district and the region have benefitted tremendously.“The clinic has helped a lot…patients used to go to Kabutare and Kibaga, which usually received exclusive cases from around the country. For this community, this facility was a godsend; it has saved them time, money and congestion. We also offer treatment to patients from neighbouring areas.”
