Mandatory tuberculin skin test for QC pre-schoolers next school year

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=1&rid=977842
• Friday, April 7, 2017

(PNA), SFM

MANILA (PNA) -- Quezon City will now make it mandatory for pre-schoolers enrolled in city government-run day-care centers to undergo an annual turberculin drug testing, which is a screening tool for TB infection among children, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Wednesday said.

The ordinance, which the mayor signed into law on March 13, cited tuberculin skin testing as necessary for the purpose of early TB detection.

As provided for under Ordinance 2573-2017, the city government will be setting aside PHP5 million to implement the program.

The full implementation of the program will start when classes opens in June for 2017-2018 school year.

Only children who have the consent of their parents will undergo the test.

Based on the City Leadership and Governance Program launched by the QC government in 2015, 32 percent of pre-schoolers enrolled in the city’s day care centers were diagnosed with tuberculosis while 26 percent were infected.

At least 54 percent of the total day-care enrollees responded to the test during the soft implementation of the project.

There are about 23,705 pre-schoolers enrolled in the city’s 294 day-care centers.