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My point is this, it's time to be alert and be scared because TB is making a comeback. We can no longer allow our Health Dep't to say it's rare, it's minor, it's not a problem. This disease is spreading and every the relevant government departments are in denial. Ignore it, and it won't go away.

In 2004 after 18 months of nursing a sick son, it was finally established that my child had TB. He was 11 at the time and it took ten GP visits and a change of GP before anyone sent him for testing. He has never left the country. The scarring damage to his lungs and heart and immune system due to the TB not being diagnosed for 18months, is something he will live with forever. There are many other consequences of this disease. Luckily, I was one of those assertive parents. My son had all the classic symptoms but was even told several times by a GP that he was just acting sick. The GP's would not consider the possibility of TB unril we kept returning with no improvement in his condition. I knew they were wrong because he was having blue attacks, night sweats, weight loss and other symptoms. (My daughter had been through severe illnesses since birth including meningococcal septicaemia and meningitis and now suffers disabilities including epilepsy. I have learnt that parents know their children better than any doctor can; and if I hadn't been a pushy parent, both my children would likely be dead by now.) After the initial shock, the treatment began which consisted of months of TB chemotherapy and close monitoring by the Chest Clinic and later PMH. None of my son's close contacts, nor family, nor relatives tested positive. We were questioned about whether we'd been overseas ; particularly Indonesia, Africa, Malaysia. We hadn't been out of the country in 15 years...and are Australian born and bred.

A very high proportion of TB cases are migrants. The Health Dep't has failed to fully track and monitor such immigrants and visitors and to check compliance with medication. The drugs are not pleasant and cause side effects...and compliance is essential for many months. Due to my own conscience, I notified the relevant schools and work places and made sure we presented them all with certificates of health when we all returned to work. The Health Dep't did not do this. In fact it was suggested that we should be quiet so as not to cause a public panic.

Learn more about this author, Chris Thomas.
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