2 more cases of TB at centre in west

Two further cases of tuberculosis have been confirmed at a centre for people with disabilities in the Western Health Board region…

Two further cases of tuberculosis have been confirmed at a centre for people with disabilities in the Western Health Board region, where one person already has died of the disease.

Staff at the centre have been informed of the cases. This follows another confirmed case last Friday at the same centre.

The Western Health Board said yesterday that the new cases are non-infectious, and it has refused to reveal the location of the centre to the public.

Requests to the health board for a spokesman to be interviewed on Mid West Radio in Mayo about TB were referred to the public doctors' strike committee.

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A spokesman for the doctors said it would be "inappropriate" to speak because of the strike and referred inquiries back to the health board or to the chief medical officer at the Department of Health.

A Department spokesman said no one was available. He added that a doctor would be "available tomorrow".

Western Health Board member Cllr John Flannery (FG) described the health board response as "an irresponsible attitude to take".

He said there were 12 outbreaks of TB in the region last year.

"The board should call in the public health doctors and I have asked the health board CEO to ask the Minister to meet those on strike." Cllr Flannery attended a health board meeting - in committee - last Monday at which the TB issue was discussed.

Responding to the health board's statement that the latest cases were "not infectious", Cllr Flannery said: "It is nonsense in the extreme to issue such a statement."

He said that staff, their families and all involved in the training centre should be properly screened without delay. "I am very concerned about this. This is something we have to deal with immediately in an urgent way."