Call to ensure sustained medication for eradication of tuberculosis

[sajiv]

Call to ensure sustained medication for eradication of tuberculosis

SALEM: The need for awareness and sustained medication about TB dominated the programme that marked the World Tuberculosis Day here on Tuesday.

Doctors and social workers, who spoke on the occasion, organised jointly by the District Welfare Association of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) and St. Mary's TB centre, pointed out that nearly 40,000 new TB patients were added to the existing list daily and of which 1,000 died.

Annual toll
Each year the disease claimed nearly 4 lakh lives.

They also claimed that for every nine seconds, one tuberculosis patient would die while an affected person could spread the disease to 10 to 15 others in a year.They said that Salem district had six TB centres with each catering to the needs of 5 lakh people.

They further pointed out that 33 laboratories to test for TB were functioning in the district. The screening had identified 3,771 new patients and after the administration of DOTS treatment, nearly 80 per cent of the affected people had shown indications of recovery. They asked the affected to maintain a sustained medication for total eradication of the disease.The DOTS should be taken regularly for which health workers and volunteers from the self help groups (SHG) had been enlisted.Apart from this, social welfare workers also had been pressed into the service to monitor the regular taking of DOTS pills as part of the treatment for the disease.

The treatment for TB was free, they said. Joint Director, Department of Health Services, presided over the function that had been organised.

Dr. P Shanmugam, Dean, Salem Government Medical College Hospital, P. R. Gemini, Chief Health Officer, Salem Corporation, Dr. K. Arunagiri, Deputy Director, Department of Health Services, Sister Francisco, Director, St. Mary's TB Centre and others spoke.

Source:hindu