Yeongam-gun Conducts Free Tuberculosis Screening for the Elderly

Yeongam-gun conducts 'Free Mobile Tuberculosis Screening' for seniors aged 65 and over. Photo by Yeongam-gun

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] Yeongam County announced on the 17th that it will conduct a ‘free mobile tuberculosis screening’ for seniors aged 65 and over who are vulnerable to infection.

This mobile tuberculosis screening will be conducted free of charge for four days between August 19 and September 1 to enable early detection of tuberculosis and prevent its spread in the community.

The screening targets about 300 residents and workers at 11 elderly care facilities most vulnerable to infection, and will be carried out through direct visits to the facilities in cooperation with the Korea Tuberculosis Association Gwangju-Jeonnam Branch.

In particular, seniors with mobility difficulties will undergo chest X-rays using mobile X-ray equipment, followed by real-time remote reading. In addition, those suspected of having tuberculosis based on the screening results will receive sputum tests on site.

Those found to have tuberculosis bacteria will be registered as patients and systematically managed, with free prescriptions of anti-tuberculosis drugs provided to minimize tuberculosis occurrence.

An official from Yeongam Public Health Center stated, "We provide free tuberculosis screening services once a year throughout the year for seniors aged 65 and over,” adding, “We hope that those with respiratory symptoms such as cough or sputum lasting more than two weeks, as well as those without symptoms, will undergo regular annual screenings for early detection.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.