By Nathan Bernier, KUT Radio
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-827717.mp3
Dallas, TX –
The Health and Human Services Commission implemented the travel restrictions on February 25th. It's been exactly one month since then, and now the ban is troubling people who are trying to fight the spread of tuberculosis in one of the worst affected areas of the country.
Tafolla: "Our inability to cross has hindered our services in someway."
Cynthia Tafolla (ta-FOY-ya) runs a cross-border tuberculosis treatment program for the state in the border towns of McAllen and Brownsville. The state launched the program in the mid-90s to deal with the exceptionally high tuberculosis rates along the border. Texas has about twice the T-B infection rate of the United States. And the border region has about twice the infection rate of Texas.
Tafolla: "Our main concern is the loss of life that could happen because of this. The patients as well, they're getting desperate."
So desperate, says Tafolla, that she's worried some T-B patients may cross into the United States to receive treatment they can't get in Mexican border towns.
Smith: "And that indeed is the greatest risk."
Doctor Brian Smith is Cynthia Tafolla's boss. He's director of the Department of State Health Services region that stretches from Brownsville to Laredo to Corpus Christie.
Smith: "If we don't maintain strong relationships with the Mexican TB program, then we may have more drop-ins for healthcare on this, with the intendent exposure to other family members on this side."
Smith says they're doing the best they can to work around the travel restrictions. Here's an example. Since the ban was implemented, they can't send state health care workers into Mexican border towns to make sure T-B patients are following their rigorous treatment programs.
Smith: "We'll be working with other Mexican health professionals and try to get the information that way. A good part of what we want is for the Mexican TB programs to mature and really become available to take care of those on their own. But you've got transitional stages."
Texas so far has the tightest restrictions on travel to Mexico by state health workers. California has restricted commutes to daylight hours. Arizona and New Mexico do not have any official bans in effect.