ILOILO City Health Office (CHO) conducted two batches of free direct sputum smear microscopy (DSSM) training to detect pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Participants included a total of 12 medical technologists of CHO, and hospital laboratory personnel of Western Visayas Medical Center and West Visayas State University Medical Center.

“This is City Government-initiated in preparation for additional diagnostic test and service of our clinical laboratory as a requirement for licensing,” Uswag Molecular Laboratory head Annabelle Rosario Blancaflor said.

She noted the city’s facility has no trained medical technologist to administer the DSSM, considered to be the original method of detecting TB bacteria.

The training was in time for the celebration of World TB Day on March 24.

Facilitated by trainers from the Department of Health, Iloilo Provincial Health Office and Negros Occidental Health Office, the activities were held at Punta Villa Resort, lloilo City from Februry 14 to 20 and from March 13 to 17, 2023.

CHO will be training two more batches of laboratory personnel in May this year, Blancaflor said. (PR)