Govt. adopts regulation to control TB

Tuberculosis patients will be subjected to forcible medical treatment only with the consent of the court, under a new regulation adopted by the Government, Info-Prim Neo reports. If the patient refuses to follow the prescribed treatment, the relevant medical establishment will seek forcible hospitalization by filing a request with the relevant district court. The regulation stipulates that, in protecting other persons from being infected, the authorities will ensure that human rights are respected with regard to the TB patient who is being treated in an assisted manner. For the uninsured patients, the costs of the assisted treatment shall be covered by the National Mandatory Health Insurance Company. A separate section of the regulation addresses the application of forcible treatment to the prisoners suffering from communicable tuberculosis. According to Health Minister Larisa Cartinici, these represent two thirds of all the jailed patients. The Ministry of Health thinks the enforcement of this regulation will help prevent the emergence of drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis, which are three times more expensive to treat than usual forms, and institute an overall control on TB development in the country.