A Tuberculosis (TB) Control Unit Office of the 37 Military Hospital was yesterday inaugurated in Accra to help drastically reduce the rate of TB cases in the hospital and the country as a whole.

The TB office attached to the Public Health Annex office was constructed in collaboration with GAF medical services and Mr Prosper Kwame Appiah, founder of the PK Foundation.

The commander of the 37 Mil­itary Hospital and Acting Deputy Chief of Staff Medical (DCOS MED), Brigadier General Evelyn Vivian Abraham- Kwabiah, inaugu­rated the facility.

Brig Gen Abraham-Kwabi­ah commended the founder of PK Appiah Foundation, Mr PK Appiah for TB office and indicated that it would help in GAF’s fight against TB.

She said that the office would be used for screening, diagnosing and treatment and will ensure quality care to support TB patients.

The officer in charge of the Public Health Division of the hospital, Captain (GN) Harriet Manu, thanked Mr PK Appiah for the gesture and stated that public health played a vital role in pre­venting diseases, promoting health and prolonging lives of people.

She noted that investing in public health helped to reduce healthcare cost, improve quality of life and increase productivity.

In his remarks, Mr Appiah noted that it was a privilege for him to construct the TB Office, saying the construction was his quota to help with the fight against TB to avoid loss of lives.

He disclosed that statistics showed that there were 15,000 cases of TB recorded annually and 4,100 deaths recorded yearly.

Mr Appiah said it was regrettable people lose their lives through TB and could not achieve their dreams.

Present at the programme were staff of the foundation and senior officers of the hospital.