DOH-7 Turns Over P600K to BJMP

A check worth P600,000 has been turned over to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP-7) by the Department of Health (DOH-7) on Tuesday for the construction of separate isolated cells for inmates with tuberculosis (TB).

Jocelyn Tabotabo, TB regional coordinator of DOH-7, said the amount covers the construction of three more TB cells worth P200,000 each.

“Since 2010, the DOH-7 has funded the construction of about 14 separate TB cells all over the region with the total worth of nine million pesos,” said Tabotabo.

Except for the TB cell in the Cebu City Jail valued between P1.2 to P1.4 million, the rest were pegged at P200,000 each, she said.

The TB cell inside the Cebu City Jail is larger compared to the other TB cells due to its huge inmate population, being the biggest detention center in the region.

There are 34 jail facilities in Central Visayas under the management of the BJMP-7 which the health department hopes to have a separate TB cell each designed to isolate inmates with the disease in order not to infect other detainees.

“One untreated TB inmate can infect 10 to 12 other prisoners and this we want to prevent as the disease is highly infectious,” said the DOH-7 TB coordinator.

The National Tuberculosis Program of the DOH aims to cut TB mortality rate by 50 percent in 2015 and wants to achieve zero TB case by 2050, said Tabotabo, as the DOH goes on an aggressive campaign drive to achieve its short and long-term goals.

Apart from constructing separate TB cells inside jail facilities as inmates are very vulnerable to developing the disease, Tabotabo said.

The DOH also provides free TB drugs spending an average of P8,000 per TB patient.

Tabotabo said before the year ends, another three TB cells would be constructed on top of the three TB cells that would be built out of the P600,000 funding.

“In this case, with 14 existing TB cells and six more this year, the total TB cells by year end would reach 20,” said Tabotabo adding that soon, each jail facility in the region would housed its own separate TB cell.