Date:27/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/27/stories/2008072755190400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Campaign for TB control needed’

Staff Reporter

Doctors say patients stop taking medicine after they feel better

Bangalore: A national mass campaign, similar to the polio eradication campaign, should be launched to control the spread of tuberculosis, said Shashidar Buggi, director of the State-run SDS Tuberculosis (TB) Sanatorium and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) Hospital in Bangalore on Saturday.

He was addressing nursing students at an orientation programme on the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) jointly organised by Karnataka State Tuberculosis Association and SDS TB Sanatorium and RGICD Hospital at the School of Nursing in Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital.

Pointing out that one person died of TB every 90 seconds, Dr. Buggi said India had three-fourths of the TB cases in the world.

“Although TB is the most common communicable disease, we have not been able to control it because of ignorance, lack of cooperation from the patients and their family members and misconceptions about the disease.

There is a need to launch a mass campaign similar to the polio campaign to control TB,” he said.

Long treatment

“It is unfortunate that even after the introduction of the RNTC programme, the disease prevails in the country. This disease requires long treatment (a minimum of six months).

But patients discontinue medication once they start feeling better. These are the ones who pose a serious threat of cross infection at home and community,” Dr. Buggi said.

S.S. Revadi, Senior Specialist at the hospital, said there was no need to admit a patient as soon as he tested positive.

“We have noticed that the family members are eager to get the patient admitted in a hospital as soon as they come to know that the person has TB.

But that is not required all the time. The patient can be treated effectively without being admitted to a hospital with cooperation from the family members,” he said.

While most people suffered from pulmonary (respiratory) TB, infections could even lead to tuberculosis of brain, eye and skin.

In fact, younger people were more affected by TB nowadays, he added.

Bowring Hospital Superintendent Rajiv Shetty, RNTCP Medical Officer Mohan and principal of nursing school S. Vimalavathi were present.