Eight Eastern Cape TB patients still missing

The health department went on a door-to-door search last week in an effort to find the TB patients

Eight of the group of XD-R and MD-R patients who ran away from two hospitals in the Eastern Cape are still unaccounted for, the Eastern Cape health department said today. "There is only one patient missing in Fort Grey and seven from Jose Pearson hospital.

The others were traced yesterday afternoon," said spokesperson Siyanda Manana. He said the department would continue until all the remaining patients were returned to hospital.

The department embarked on a door-to-door search last week. Relatives of the patients who had symptoms such as sweating, tiredness, loss of appetite and persistent coughing were urged to go to their nearest clinics and get tested.

XD-R TB is an extensive drug resistant TB that is very difficult to treat and is spread by coughing or sneezing. Therefore movements of patients who carry it should ideally be temporarily restricted, because they can pose a major threat to the health of others.

The patients escaped from the hospital through holes they cut through the perimeter fence. - Sapa