Health Minister, Dr. Duane Sands confirmed yesterday that after screening more than 200 persons in the public schools, there is no evidence of anyone else with active tuberculosis.

Following an outbreak of tuberculosis in a junior and senior school in New Providence last week  that raised alarm, President of the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT)  Belinda Wilson called on the government to establish some form of protocol when it comes to these instances.

Mrs. Wilson commented on the issue after teachers too had to be screened for possibility of the illness.

Mrs. Wilson had also called for schools to be cleaned as a safety precaution to prevent the transfer of communicable diseases.

Dr. Sands in response said that there is no need for alarm and panic.

“Let  me say that I have direct communication with the president of the Bahamas Union of Teachers, and she has direct communication with me, but wherever there is a perceived need to improve we’re looking to try and make things better.

“Certainly, there is no need at all given the likely current and future issues with scabies, tuberculosis or other school issues, there’s no need for panic.

” What  we’re hoping to do is to turn the temperature down. But whenever there seems to be a challenge we look at it as an opportunity to try and do better,” Dr. Sands said.

He added that although sometimes there are challenges, he makes every effort to communicate, especially in instances like these.

“I have made it very clear that even if it means that I have to speak with the union president directly, that my surveillance team also does. And what we try to do is to make sure that whenever there’s a case that there is communication with the appropriate persons.

“Sometimes that has been challenging and this last issue was really a matter of efforts made that were not consummated,” Dr. Sands said.

He noted that screening for teachers is “an ongoing process”.

He  stated that “the balancing act of the public’s interest and patients right to privacy” is something that the ministry is going to constantly manage.