Geist
05-27-2006, 12:26 PM
A TB vaccination campaigner has called for an investigation into claims a family of illegal immigrants are being treated for the disease after turning up at Sandwell General Hospital.
Councillor Mavis Hughes says she received a phone call claiming that the family had been admitted to the West Bromwich hospital with the potentially deadly disease. She said the family landed at Heathrow airport earlier this week and made it to Sandwell. They are currently being treated at Sandwell General Hospital's chest clinic.
Councillor Hughes, who has campaigned for months to get vaccinations brought back into schools in Sandwell, now says the hospital needs to provide answers to the claims.
The Tory councillor says: "I had a phone call telling me about this family. I think this is a very big concern that a family turned up in Sandwell with TB.
"I will be looking into this and getting some answers as to what is going on and how this situation has arisen."
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell Hospital says all patients entering the chest clinic displaying TB symptoms are screened on entry and given information relating to the condition.
But the trust refused to comment further on the latest claims.
Councillor Hughes has collected 1,500 names on a petition calling on the Government to bring back the "TB jab" to schools, after it was abandoned by health and education officials.
It comes after the Wednesbury north councillor was contacted by a number concerned parents fearing their children were at risk by scrapping the potentially life saving immunisations in schools.
The petition was launched at the end of March this year, and in just two months more than 1,500 people have signed it.
A special website has also been set up detailing the facts and figures of the campaign and also allows people to get involved in raising the profile of the alarming lack of protection for pupils.
The petition will be presented to Downing Street next month.
Anyone wanting to find out more about Councillor Hughes's petition can log onto the website at www.tbornottb.co.uk
http://www.expressandstar.com/articles/news/es/article_90710.php
Councillor Mavis Hughes says she received a phone call claiming that the family had been admitted to the West Bromwich hospital with the potentially deadly disease. She said the family landed at Heathrow airport earlier this week and made it to Sandwell. They are currently being treated at Sandwell General Hospital's chest clinic.
Councillor Hughes, who has campaigned for months to get vaccinations brought back into schools in Sandwell, now says the hospital needs to provide answers to the claims.
The Tory councillor says: "I had a phone call telling me about this family. I think this is a very big concern that a family turned up in Sandwell with TB.
"I will be looking into this and getting some answers as to what is going on and how this situation has arisen."
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell Hospital says all patients entering the chest clinic displaying TB symptoms are screened on entry and given information relating to the condition.
But the trust refused to comment further on the latest claims.
Councillor Hughes has collected 1,500 names on a petition calling on the Government to bring back the "TB jab" to schools, after it was abandoned by health and education officials.
It comes after the Wednesbury north councillor was contacted by a number concerned parents fearing their children were at risk by scrapping the potentially life saving immunisations in schools.
The petition was launched at the end of March this year, and in just two months more than 1,500 people have signed it.
A special website has also been set up detailing the facts and figures of the campaign and also allows people to get involved in raising the profile of the alarming lack of protection for pupils.
The petition will be presented to Downing Street next month.
Anyone wanting to find out more about Councillor Hughes's petition can log onto the website at www.tbornottb.co.uk
http://www.expressandstar.com/articles/news/es/article_90710.php