Mobile brigades. Photo: Marion Biremon / UNDP Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek, Nov. 3, 2020 / Kabar /. Since September, mobile brigades around the country started bringing medical services to tuberculosis (TB) or HIV patients’ homes when needed. These are part of the extension of activities in the framework of the UNDP / Global Fund’s reaction mechanism to Covid-19, UNDP Office in Kyrgyzstan reported.
With the new pandemic, many clients have had difficulties accessing services for prevention, diagnostic, treatment, monitoring and care. These difficulties are mostly linked to increased unemployment, the introduction of movement restrictions, and re-profiling of facilities into red zones for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. Many people are also afraid of seeking help in medical facilities and getting infected with Covid-19 there. Together, these obstacles have negatively impacted access to health care.
As a result, some people cannot receive timely diagnosis and treatment, increasing risks of developing a serious form of the disease and of worsening the situation with these epidemics.
The mobile brigades were supported by the UNDP’s project “Effective HIV and TB Control in the Kyrgyz Republic”, funded by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to avoid interruption of services. The goal is to help patients in particularly difficult life situations receive additional medical and social support. These are mostly patients faced with financial or family problems, those whose health condition has worsened, patients living in isolated regions, or patients who are non-adherent to treatment.
Four mobile brigades (2 in Chuy region, 1 in Osh region and 1 in Jalal-Abad region), each made up of one medical worker and one social worker help TB patients in need, and eight brigades (1 in Bishkek, 1 in Osh, 1 in Karakol, 1 in Naryn, 2 in Chuy region, 1 in Jalal-Abad region and 1 in Talas region), composed of one medical worker and one peer consultant, provide services to people living with HIV.
The mobile brigade specialists deliver the following services to people living with HIV: check-up, consultation, information based on patients’ questions, TB screening, ART drugs delivery, evaluation of adherence to ART, help solving social problems, and when needed escort to medical institutions.
The brigades also conduct weekly visits to TB patients with drug-resistant forms of the disease at their home to deliver drugs, monitor treatment and take analyses, provide information on possible side-effects from medication and detect them, verify adherence to treatment, and help solve social problems.
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