TALLINN, 15 March 2004 - The SAO examined the efforts of the Ministry of Social Affairs to implement the “Tuberculosis Control Program for 1998 to 2003” and found that although tuberculosis morbidity has decreased, the drug-resistant form of tuberculosis has started to proliferate. This implies that there are problems in the organisation of treatment, since this form is very rare in the case of sound treatment systems.
The SAO believes that the methods of detecting persons suffering from the disease and the treatment and nursing facilities have not been fully developed. Tuberculosis patients include persons, who don’t care about treatment or receive no treatment at all. This target group is the most problematic one. Estonia does not have special nursing hospitals where forced treatment could be applied.
The fact that former patients without a permanent place of residence or job are not included in the social rehabilitation system after tuberculosis treatment favours tuberculosis incidence. As a consequence, altogether three diseases – drug addiction, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis – have started to spread in pretty much the same risk group.
In order to improve the situation, the SAO recommends establishing a functioning monitoring system where the transmission and analysis of data and giving feedback to the data provider would take place in accordance with a certain scheme involving all the entities dealing with the tuberculosis control. More decisive action should be taken with regard to using the possibilities provided for by law for the forced treatment of persons. To this end, the necessary special hospitals should be established and the required implementing provisions should be adopted. Furthermore, a rehabilitation system should be implemented to avoid future illness of the cured. More attention should be paid to the scope and quality of directly controlled treatment, as today these vary greatly between regions.
For more information on the findings and proposals of the SAO, please refer to the SAO web site www.riigikontroll.ee. The response from the Minister of Social Affairs and Communications to the SAO has been annexed to the audit report.
Sven Soiver
Press Representative of State Audit Office
Telephone: (372) 640 0787
GSM: (372) 53 414464
E-mail: [email protected]
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Posted:
3/15/2004 12:00 AM
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Last Update:
10/1/2015 12:11 PM
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Last Review:
10/1/2015 12:11 PM