York County, S.C., Sheriff Bruce Bryant has raised concerns about the state's long-standing practice of housing TB patients in motels.

The sheriff learned of the practice on Oct. 8 when his department got orders to pick up and transport a recalcitrant patient staying in a York County hotel. The patient, who had refused to take medicine or obey orders to stay in the motel room, went to a discount store in Rock Hill to buy shoes. "It was a great concern of mine that someone with a disease of that magnitude would be housed in a local motel," Bryant said Tuesday.

Department of Health and Environmental Control spokesperson Thom Berry said housing TB patients in motels was a "long- standing procedure." Two to four TB patients, often homeless persons or those rejected by their families, are kept in motels each year after they are well enough to leave a hospital. They typically stay less than three weeks in the motels, where they are supposed to stay in their rooms and receive meals and treatments from DHEC nurses. Because they can still be contagious, they can only leave after they test negative for TB three times.

Bryant said he is "real angry at the state government that the budget's been cut to a degree that we can't provide proper treatment." His office said the deputy who transported the patient to Columbia wore a surgical mask and gloves and will be tested for TB in six months. Bryant said he is concerned about the safety of other guests at the motels.

The motels, which agree to take the patients, are cheaper than state facilities, Berry said. Only motels with separate heating and cooling air systems can be used, and doors must open to the outside only, not to a hallway, he said.

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