Inani Labafayo Elilingana Nelababulawa Empini
LAPHO uMarilyn oneminyaka engu-23 ubudala ezaca futhi ezizwa etubekile, wacabanga ukuthi kubangelwa ukuthi wayesanda kukhulelwa. Wabikela udokotela nokuthi wayekhwehlela njalo. Udokotela wathi umgudu wokuphefumula wawunenkinga futhi wamnikeza amaphilisi. Ngemva kwalokho, lapho eqala ukujuluka abe manzi ebusuku, uMarilyn wakhathazeka kakhulu. Waphindela kudokotela, owahlela ukuba athathwe izithombe ze-X ray zesifuba.
Ibala elimnyama elabonakala esithombeni se-X ray lalidinga ukuba kuthathwe isinyathelo esiphuthumayo, kodwa yayingekho indlela yokuthinta uMarilyn ngocingo. UMarilyn uthi: “Udokotela wathinta umama wamtshela ukuthi ngigula ngempela. Umama weza kwami wangitshela ukuthi angiphuthume [kudokotela]. Wangithumela esibhedlela lapho ngathathwa khona ezinye izithombe ze-X ray futhi ngalaliswa.”
UMarilyn washaqeka lapho ethola ukuthi wayephethwe isifo sofuba (TB). Wayecabanga ukuthi uzofa, kodwa ngemva kokwelashwa ngemithi enqanda i-TB, walulama ngokushesha.
Ukumangala kukaMarilyn ukuthi une-TB kuyaqondakala. Kuze kube muva nje, ngisho nochwepheshe abaningi bezokwelapha bebecabanga ukuthi i-TB isinqotshiwe emazweni asethuthukile. Umsizi wasesikhungweni sezokwelapha eLondon wathi: “Ngangicabanga ukuthi lolu bhadane seluqediwe. Kodwa lapho ngifika ngizosebenza kulendawo, ngathola ukuthi lusekhona futhi luyabhebhetheka ezindaweni ezisenkabeni yedolobha.”
Ezindaweni lapho i-TB yayisiphelile khona, ibuye ngezinkani; ezindaweni ebilokhu ikhona kuzo, iye yabhebhetheka. Kunokuba iqedwe, i-TB iwumbulali ofana nempi nendlala. Ake ucabangele lokhu:
◼Naphezu kwentuthuko yezokwelapha namuhla, kuleminyaka eyikhulu edlule i-TB iye yabulala abantu abangaba izigidi ezingu-200.
◼Abantu abangaba izigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili—okuyingxenye yesithathu yenani labantu emhlabeni—kakade sebenegciwane le-TB. Ngaphezu kwalokho, omunye umuntu ungenwa yi-TB umzuzwana ngamunye!
◼Ngo-1995 inani labantu ababene-TB laliyizigidi ezingu-22. Abangaba izigidi ezintathu bafa, iningi labo emazweni asathuthuka.
Njengoba kunemithi enamandla yokulwa ne-TB, kungani lesi sifo siqhubeka sibhuqa isintu? Ingabe siyoke sinqotshwe? Ingabe ikhona indlela ongazivikela ngayo kuso? Izihloko ezilandelayo zizophendula lemibuzo.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]
New Jersey Medical School—National Tuberculosis Center