M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Jan 3: Palamu district TB officer Dr Vijay Kumar Singh on Monday held a sensitization session with the media persons and asked them to help in the fight against TB.
Chronic cough, unexplained fever and unexplained weight loss persisting for two weeks or more may be a case of tuberculosis. Hence, a person having these symptoms or any of one of them is advised to get his sputum tested, said the TB officer.
He said sweating at night is a very common noticeable symptom. Such symptoms should not be ignored even for a day or two.
He added that every 5 minutes, two people die of TB in India and this has to be contained. The government of India has launched the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme.
“The state government has given us a week beginning January 3 as the iconic week under the aegis of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,” he added.
Dr Singh explained that there are only three parts in a human body namely hair, nail and cornea where TB does not strike otherwise there is lung TB, bone TB, uterus TB and other varieties.
Asked if there is any facility of sputum tests at the community health centre, Dr Singh said it is there. Sahiyas have been trained to collect sputum in two vials and if preliminary sputum test goes positive then in that event, one vial of the sputum is sent to the TB treatment centre in the Medinirai medical college hospital in Daltonganj.
The Sahiyas get Rs. 500 for collection of two vials of sputum and preliminary test as well. If a Sahiya helps a TB patient with his medication for 6 months then she gets further a sum of Rs.1,100.
At present, there are 4,670 TB patients in Palamu out of which 3,110 patients are taking treatment and advice from the government hospital.
Asked again that detection of TB among children is a tough task as a child does not expect to cough, Dr Singh said it is really a tough task to detect it in the children.
“We are to reach a memo of understanding with paediatrics to help fight TB among the children. Gastric lavage or to put it simply gastric juice of a child is taken out with the help of a tube that goes down the belly of the child and tests are done to find out if the child is any TB positive,” he said.
About precautions to be observed by other members of the family where there is a case of TB-positive patient, Dr Singh said this is of utmost importance.
“We must save other members of the family and their health issues are to be taken into account very seriously,” he said.
Reminded that there are cases of multidrug resistance, Dr Singh said it has to be watched with all care and caution. If medicines are sensitive to TB treatment, then in that case a TB positive person begins to have a good feel in just one month or so.
“TB patients should take medicines regularly and without a daybreak and they are to be all right soon. Any casual taking of TB medicine is harmful to a person, his family and the society in which he lives,” he added.
