He said that 820,000 TB patients were found in 2023, and his ministry aims to find another 900,000 cases.
Sadikin said that finding TB-infected people is quite challenging due to low public awareness of the importance of screening, which involves X-ray scans and PCR tests conducted in hospitals.
The purchase of 36 portable X-ray devices is expected to support health workers in conducting TB examinations, according to Sadikin.
"The small, portable devices can reach remote areas to find TB cases," he said.
He added that his ministry is distributing the devices to regions with high TB exposure.
Sadikin also warned that 1 million people contract the infectious disease every year, with 136,000 succumbing to it.
"This means that every five minutes, one person dies in Indonesia from TB," he added.
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Translator: Ricky Prayoga, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
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