Center for Treatment and Prevention of Tuberculosis of the Directorate of Infectious Diseases Centers
Center for Treatment and Prevention of Tuberculosis is part of the Directorate of Infectious Diseases Centers of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan and was opened on September 1, 2010. The Center for Treatment and Prevention of Tuberculosis has 60 beds for patients. The Center consists of several departments: an admission and consultation department, adult and children’s dispensary departments, a pulmonary surgery department, a functional diagnostics and X-ray department, a scientific and clinical, an organizational and methodological department, and a department for serious diseases. Each department carries out modern research and treatment measures in accordance with its direction. Full implementation of measures for the prevention, timely detection and treatment of tuberculosis, a decrease in the incidence of diseases in the country is one of the main tasks of the Center. A set of these measures is carried out in close cooperation with doctors of Polyclinics, the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service.
Admission and Consultation Department: The admission and consultation department includes the offices of a bronchologist, dentist, ophthalmologist, neurologist, narcologist-psychiatrist, and extrapulmonary tuberculosis doctor. Each of them accepts patients according to their profile, conducts appropriate examinations, and implements appropriate measures. For diagnostics and improving the effectiveness of treatment, the bronchoscopy room, which is part of the admission and consultation department of the Center, widely uses the method of bronchological examination. Patients are admitted to the hospital through the admission and consultation department. In addition, the department provides high-level assistance in consultation and diagnosis to patients who arrived from the velayats (regions).
Adult and children’s dispensary departments: The main tasks of adult and children’s dispensary departments consist of conducting checks in the city of Ashgabat in relation to patients with suspected tuberculosis. Also, measures are taken to establish a diagnosis, register identified patients with tuberculosis, treat and improve health, and conduct dispensary observation. Doctors’ offices for receiving patients are equipped with the latest computers and telephone.
In addition to the doctors’ offices providing services to patients receiving outpatient treatment, the adult dispensary department of the Center has doctors’ offices equipped with modern equipment for the treatment of teeth, diseases of the ear, nose, throat, kidneys, respiratory tract, nervous system, and there is also the possibility of diagnosing and treating extrapulmonary diseases.
Chemoprophylaxis continues for individuals with suspected latent tuberculosis infection: children, adolescents, adults who have been in contact with patients with tuberculosis, individuals with identified tuberculosis infection, included in the group with a high risk of developing tuberculosis.
In addition, the doctors of the department provide consultative, organizational and methodological assistance to the polyclinics, central hospitals of the city of Ashgabat, as well as region tuberculosis hospitals. In order to improve the quality of medical services, to achieve quality assurance, the Center for Treatment and Prevention of Tuberculosis and velayat tuberculosis hospitals have established control and monitoring over the implementation of measures to combat tuberculosis.
Functional diagnostics and X-ray department: The department includes an X-ray room, fluorography rooms, ultrasound examination rooms, computer tomography rooms, physiotherapy rooms, and electrocardiography rooms. The use of SIEMENS computer tomography department, fluorography and X-ray examination methods creates the opportunity to diagnose tuberculosis that occurs in the chest and other diseases. In addition, ultrasound examination is widely used to diagnose diseases of the lungs and other internal organs. With the help of this modern high-quality equipment, it is possible to detect pulmonary pleurisy, pulmonary echinococcosis, various tumors and other lung diseases at an early stage. In case of tuberculosis combined with cardiovascular pathology, the disease can be diagnosed using research equipment – an electrocardiogram.
Pulmonary Department: The Pulmonary Department of the Center is designed for 40 beds, and is equipped with modern equipment, comfortable conditions are created in the wards for patients. Based on the World Health Organization Guidelines, the department successfully implements measures to identify and treat patients with tuberculosis, including the treatment of patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis. Infection surveillance measures in the hospital are carried out in accordance with international standards.
Centralized surveillance has been established to diagnose tuberculosis and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment for newly diagnosed patients. Drug susceptibility testing is performed for all first- and second-line drugs, as well as the newly developed drug linezolid. As part of operational research carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, the department has introduced an improved and shortened 39-week standard of treatment for rifampicin- and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. According to preliminary results, the treatment success rate is 91.7 %.
Currently, measures are being successfully taken to diagnose and study the extensively drug-resistant form of tuberculosis, and new treatment methods have been introduced. Treatment is carried out using new drugs (bedeaclivine, delamanid, clofazamine, linezolid, imipenem). The result of diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis has significantly improved, and corresponds to the National Initiative for the Development of the international principle of “Liquidation of tuberculosis”.
In the city of Ashgabat and in all velayats, treatment of patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis continues according to the treatment regimen “BpaL”, “BPAL-C”, “BPAL-M”, proposed by the World Health Organization.
The method has been implemented in the city of Ashgabat and in all velayats GeneXpert Ultra, which makes it possible to determine the type of tuberculosis bacteria.
In the city of Ashgabat and in all regions (for the first time in the world), a method for free diagnostics and treatment using GeneXpert equipment for viral hepatitis B and C in patients with tuberculosis has been introduced.
Surgical Department: The surgical department of the Center for patients has 20 beds, each ward is intended for 2 patients, comfortable conditions have been created for them, the wards are equipped with modern equipment. For the treatment of tuberculosis by surgical methods, modern methods and technical means are comprehensively and successfully used. In order to improve the surgical treatment of tuberculosis of the lungs and spine, bone and joint tuberculosis, new metal constructive and arthroscopic methods of surgery have been developed. The reconstructive-restorative method and other new methods have been widely introduced. The use of the diagnostic method with the help of the thorascopic complex of the German company “Karl Storz” makes it possible to accurately determine diseases arising in the pleura located in the chest and in the pleural cavity. At present, the surgical department continues to perform reconstructive operations on patients with tuberculosis of the spine with newly arisen complications.
Department of severe diseases: The 6-bed department of severe diseases is equipped with modern equipment. Basically, the department organizes the implementation of measures for the management of patients in the primary postoperative period, the implementation of therapeutic measures and observation of severe patients with complicated forms of tuberculosis (pulmonary-cardiac insufficiency of II-III stages, tuberculous meningitis, meningoencephalitis, spontaneous pneumothorax, pulmonary hemorrhage) or with combined with severe diseases.
Scientific and clinical department: The department carries out scientific research work according to world standards. Currently, the scientific and clinical department, together with the Department of Tuberculosis of the Myrat Garryyev State Medical University of Turkmenistan carries out relevant and important scientific research work. Based on the results of scientific work, methodological manuals, scientific articles, and instructions are published.
Organizational and Methodological Department: The Organizational and Methodological Department, collecting statistical data from the inpatient, dispensary department, and medical offices, analyzes their work. In accordance with the established form, it submits to the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry monthly, quarterly, annual reports on epidemiological indicators for tuberculosis and other relevant indicators.
In cooperation with the Global Fund and the World Health Organization, the “Information System (TB-RRIS) for recording and maintaining records of tuberculosis data” was introduced in Turkmenistan, the necessary equipment was purchased and case management programs were developed. Based on the “National program for ensuring effective tuberculosis control in Turkmenistan for 2021-2025”, work has been strengthened to improve the diagnosis of the disease, implement treatment and preventive measures. As a result, the epidemiological indicators for tuberculosis have improved. According to the World Health Organization, over the past 5 years, the incidence of tuberculosis has significantly decreased.
Information center of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry conducts explanatory work among the population on tuberculosis, audio and video materials on tuberculosis have been developed and broadcast. Every year, the Center holds a scientific and practical conference on current issues in tuberculosis, dedicated to World Tuberculosis Day.
Thus, the work envisaged within the framework of the implementation of the National Program for the Fight against Tuberculosis has been carried out with the achievement of high results. The implementation of work at the current rate of reduction of tuberculosis incidence in Turkmenistan will allow achieving the WHO target indicator for the elimination of tuberculosis by 2035, that is, less than 10 cases per 100 thousand population to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis.
Name of the organization: Center for Treatment and Prevention of Tuberculosis of the Directorate of Infectious Diseases Centers
Address: 79, O.Annayev street, «Choganly» residential complex, Ashgabat city, 744020
Telephone number: +993 (12) 73-88-61
Fax: +993 (12) 73-84-38
E-mail: incemerk@sanly.tm
Transport:
Buses: 11, 17, 53
Landmarks: Morphological Centre
Location on the map: Yandex Map
