London uses van with X-ray machine to find TB

Your Health Matters

In this Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013 photo, homeless Danny Hastie, 20, waits for his X-ray, that came negative for tuberculosis, at a van in London. Last year, London had about 3,500 tuberculosis cases - more than the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece and Norway combined. In response, health officials are taking to the streets in an effort to stop the spread of the infectious lung disease, with a high-tech white van equipped with an X-ray machine that drives around London offering free check-ups. London’s 460,000 British pounds (some $743, 329) TB van has an X-ray machine whose scans can be instantly read by a radiographer. The entire process of getting an X-ray and its results takes about 90 seconds. Hastie, despite getting sick numerous times last year, he didn’t bother seeing a doctor said: “I heard about this van and thought I would give it a go,” he said. "It’s (scary) at first because you’re thinking, ‘oh, I might have a chest infection,’ but when they say that you’re clear, it puts your mind at rest." (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)LONDON (AP) — London is famed for its historic sites, its double-decker buses and its West End shows, but the city now has a more dubious distinction: Britain's public health agency says it has become the tuberculosis capital of Western Europe.

facebookShare on Facebook
TwitterTweet
FollowFollow us
PinterestSave