Premier Sylvia Lucas  joined by MEC Gift van Staden, MEC Tiny Chotelo, Activist Beau Nkaelang, Ms Makatesi, CEO Mr Link and DR Stallenberg paid a visit to the local West End Hospital, to address T.B patients on current circumstances and provide encouragement and motivation to them. A build-up programme towards the World T.B commemorated on 24 March.

T.B is a world-renowned epidemic and has become a crisis for the refusal and lack of treatment amongst patients increasing the mortality rate in society. Tuberculosis is a disease caused by the bacterium called Mycobacterium, the bacteria usually attacks the lungs but can also damage other parts of the body. T.B spreads through the air when a person with T.B of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes or talks. A large percentage of patients have refused to adhere to their treatment allowing the disease to manifest into an undesirable situation, thus having a 32% mortality rate and a 15% success rate of treatment.

Premier had private one-on-one dialogues with patients and was enlightened by the ordeal they are experiencing, in relating to the matter the Premier suggested ways to move forward by encouraging and motivating patients by expressing sympathy to the patients which held a sombre tone to the message in which she informed the patients. Focus was placed on completing their treatment and how they can move forward when being discharged from the complex. In order to move past this situation one needs to have a changed mindset, exclude narrow and negative thinking and incorporate positive and advance thinking.

The purpose of the gathering was to raise consciousness on the drug resistant treatment and how it can be adhered to in order to have a more abundant success rate. The end product of not adhering to your treatment would be of total heartbreak as what is left behind is inhumane and devastating consequences, meaning broken families and immeasurable situations.”Unemployment and poverty affects us all, but still that’s no reason to die”-says Premier, care enough about yourself to take your medication, get well  and move past this ‘sick phase’ of life.