MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Good news, bad news.

Good news and bad news for Magallanes Region, according to the latest official release it has the lowest unemployment rate in Chile but it's second in Tuberculosis cases in the country.

While unemployment nationally in the mobile quarter March-May advanced from 8,7% to 9,4%, sending shivers to the Chilean government that faces municipal elections next October, Magallanes Region was one of the few that actually experienced a decline, from 6,5% to 6,1%, the lowest in the country.

Although Magallanes benefits from an employment program for "extreme regions" sponsored by the central government the index is quiet significant and far below that in metropolitan Santiago.

However on the other hand Magallanes is one of two Chilean Regions with the greatest number of TB cases and pneumonia. According to official Health Service authorities the number of TB cases diagnosed in the first six months of 2004 In Magallanes total 15, while in the whole of 2003 the number was 53.

To help combat TB and respiratory diseases a team of doctors and nurses arrived from Santiago and will be dictating courses about the pathology of the disease, prevention and recommendations to avoid respiratory diseases.

A third ward for Adult Respiratory Diseases was inaugurated this year in Punta Arenas with over 400 cases under screening.