Noble Park North Ward councillor Maria Sampey.By Shaun Inguanzo
A GREATER Dandenong councillor fears the city’s refugees infected by the potentially deadly tuberculosis bacteria could cause a public outbreak because some are failing to seek medical attention.
But the Department of Human Services (DHS) has brushed aside the possibility of a tuberculosis scare, saying it has not noticed any increase in tuberculosis cases this year.
Noble Park North Ward councillor Maria Sampey this week discovered doctors’ concerns over refugee health, including tuberculosis, in minutes from an April meeting of the Migrant Settlement Committee.
Cr Sampey said she believed refugees with tuberculosis may be among those not seeking medical treatment, and could risk infecting other residents.
“There are some kids within the city who have life-threatening problems and are taking drugs that could lower their immune systems,” she said.
“I am concerned that parents who are not aware of this problem could allow their children to be sitting and playing next to someone else who might be carrying the disease, and they’ll catch it.”
In the meeting’s minutes, Dr Andrew Block from the Refugee Health Centre at Dandenong Hospital revealed that local GPs were concerned that an unknown number of refugees were failing to see a doctor for basic health care.
Among the health problems refugees suffer is tuberculosis.
Department of Human Services spokesman Bram Alexander said the Federal Government screened refugees for infectious diseases but it was possible for people not yet showing tuberculosis symptoms to slip through the process with an apparent clean bill of health – despite carrying the harmful bacteria.
In the minutes, Dr Block estimated that the three largest general practice clinics in Dandenong were making 15 specialist referrals for refugee health each week.
But Dr Block said doctors were worried that a number of refugees weren’t seeing a doctor for their ailments.
“These figures may be lower than true demand as there is concern amongst Dandenong GPs that this group is not presenting for primary care, likely due to cultural and language barriers, as well as cost,” he said.
Dr Block said tuberculosis cases were treated at another clinic, however once the Refugee Health Clinic acquired a tuberculosis nurse and necessary medications it would “operate as a stand-alone tuberculosis clinic”.
Tuberculosis is a contagious and potentially fatal infectious disease that is rife in poverty-stricken countries where medical assistance is scarce.
Symptoms include coughing up blood, chest pains, central nervous system disorders and fever and fatigue.
It is spread via coughing, laughing or sneezing, similar to influenza.
Mr Alexander said the DHS recorded an average of 350 cases in Victoria each year.
He said people could indeed catch tuberculosis if exposed to someone with the active bacteria.
But he said the number of Victoria’s tuberculosis cases was nothing out of the ordinary this year.
“It (an outbreak) is not showing up in our surveillance to be the case,” he said.
Mr Alexander said the disease was easily treatable with a 14-day course of antibiotics.
Dandenong Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association (DRRA) president Alan Hood said ratepayers should have been notified of the tuberculosis scare immediately after the meeting in April.
Greater Dandenong receives about 1200 new refugees each year, with a majority from Sudan and Afghanistan.
Star contacted the Dandenong District Division of General Practice for comment but did not receive a response before deadline.
