Communicable Diseases
TB screening continues in the community. M’Chigeeng is not in an endemic area for TB (regularly found in a given population) but is at risk with past history of clients with active TB and other band members historically testing positive.
The TB program continues with health care workers and students being tested as per employment and school requirements. Our office has been a resource for community members accessing health care in areas with less experience. In one instance, a doctor’s office was going to initiate prophylactic TB treatment, but through collaboration with our clinic, did not, since the client had tested positive years before and thus was not a candidate for this. The screening was changed to x-rays and information was shared from the Health Canada protocols. All of our results are forwarded to Health Canada as per protocol. There were no new cases of TB or positive mantouxs in the community.
The CHNs have also begun to consult with the daycare to improve the annual TB screening for employees at the daycare. All of our immunizations are updated via fax to Ontario Regional Office in Ottawa.
During the 2007-2008 flu season, the doctor’s office in Mindemoya was very proactive in calling elders and those with chronic diseases into their office in Mindemoya for their flu shots. While the numbers here were reduced, overall, our population continues to be immunized at about 45% of the population, or approximately 480 people.
We are working with the doctor’s office to share information on mutual clients so true statistical records are maintained and we can reduce the chance of double immunizing a client. We had no laboratory confirmed cases of influenza this during 2007-2008.
A Norwalk-like illness at the end of flu season did spike the numbers of clients acutely ill and the perception of influenza in the community. Our nursing team will be addressing this with more education sessions before and during flu season.
In 2007-2008, there was a shortage for pneumovax vaccine with none available from the manufacturer during flu season for updates. This situation was resolved in the spring.
Our staff reviews records with the physicians that are in the clinic, and doctor’s orders are put in the chart and dually noted for the once in a lifetime shots recorded for our mutual clients.
The health centre has taken the lead in a pandemic plan as an appendix to the Emergency Response Plan of M’Chigeeng First Nation. We are also a participant in the Manitoulin Island Pandemic Response group and are working on a collaborative pandemic plan for Manitoulin.
STIs are an ongoing concern, with 6 people in the community testing positive for Chlamydia, with the resulting contact tracing and tracking being done. All of our positive cases were referred to the nurse practitioner for intensive one-on-one counseling for STI prevention. With the training provided this fall, our nursing staff will gear more education sessions to our young people in the schools and in the community.
