People with or without HIV can get TB. If you’ve experienced unexplained coughing for more than 6 weeks, or if you’re sweating a lot at night and have lost weight due to poor appetite, you could have TB – especially if you’ve had close contact with someone else with TB. It’s possible to have TB of the lungs or other organs even if you’ve only had some of these symptoms, and even if you’re not coughing.
Before your visit (Very important to protect staff and other patients)
Inform our receptionist beforehand if you suspect you might have TB. Please wear your own cloth mask to your visit. If you don’t have one, we’ll provide you with a mask upon your arrival.
What to expect at your first visit
We’ll enquire about your full medical history. Thereafter we’ll do a physical examination or check-up. We’ll explain everything about TB and answer any of your questions.
Special investigations
If it hadn’t been done yet, we’ll request a sputum TB test at the lab. The lab staff will collect your cough sample in a specimen container. We may also request blood tests, chest X-rays, or an ultrasound. Results are usually available by the next day.
Treatment
If your test is positive and the TB is sensitive to normal TB drugs, the treatment duration will be 6 months. In rare cases, if you have drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), the duration may be for 9 months – in some very rare cases up to a year (or even longer). A negative test doesn’t rule out TB, and may require further tests.
Choice of treatment centre
If you choose to receive your treatment with us through a private pharmacy, we’ll arrange your follow-up appointments as needed. You may also choose to attend a free local government clinic for the remainder of your treatment, to which we can write a referral letter.