Page 26 - TB: The Ticking Time Bomb
P. 26
“ My wife was diagnosed with TB when we were moving to Australia. However,
the Indian medical system cleared her after 6 weeks of regular tests. She was allowed
to travel. As soon as she landed, the Australian medical association took over and did
3 tests in which the result was positive. It was embarrassing how the top Indian
medical institutes had cleared us.
” - Sunil
“ I am a doctor and I suffered from a rare variant of TB called endobronchial
tuberculosis. I suffered when I was doing my post graduation. The place where I did
my PG had highest incidence of HIV and some of the TB patients used to take second
or third dose of DOTS. Many of them were defaulters also.
Patients did not have enough awareness and there was poor compliance just because
they didn’t feel like taking drugs. There was no facility for doing sensitivity tests in
government hospitals. It costs around Rs. 5000–6000 in private labs. So I support
your thought of fighting TB as a national emergency.
” - Aneira
“ My wife Savita, age 53, is suffering from Meningitis TB since January 2012
and the treatment is continuing. It was very difficult to diagnose this. She had almost
gone to the danger zone. Since 34 months, she is taking the highest dose of TB
medication.
” - Manish
Udaipur, Rajasthan
“ It was the year 1952. My grandmother contracted bone TB and just imagine
those days with very little medical assistance. She was admitted in a sanatorium in
Himachal Pradesh and was operated. Her left ribs and lung were removed. She had
to be in the sanatorium for 3 years. It’s heartbreaking to see people die.
- Aruna ”
24
the Indian medical system cleared her after 6 weeks of regular tests. She was allowed
to travel. As soon as she landed, the Australian medical association took over and did
3 tests in which the result was positive. It was embarrassing how the top Indian
medical institutes had cleared us.
” - Sunil
“ I am a doctor and I suffered from a rare variant of TB called endobronchial
tuberculosis. I suffered when I was doing my post graduation. The place where I did
my PG had highest incidence of HIV and some of the TB patients used to take second
or third dose of DOTS. Many of them were defaulters also.
Patients did not have enough awareness and there was poor compliance just because
they didn’t feel like taking drugs. There was no facility for doing sensitivity tests in
government hospitals. It costs around Rs. 5000–6000 in private labs. So I support
your thought of fighting TB as a national emergency.
” - Aneira
“ My wife Savita, age 53, is suffering from Meningitis TB since January 2012
and the treatment is continuing. It was very difficult to diagnose this. She had almost
gone to the danger zone. Since 34 months, she is taking the highest dose of TB
medication.
” - Manish
Udaipur, Rajasthan
“ It was the year 1952. My grandmother contracted bone TB and just imagine
those days with very little medical assistance. She was admitted in a sanatorium in
Himachal Pradesh and was operated. Her left ribs and lung were removed. She had
to be in the sanatorium for 3 years. It’s heartbreaking to see people die.
- Aruna ”
24
