21 October,2016 07:00 PM IST | | Rupsa Chakraborty
State TB dept will now provide DOTS at ART centers daily, as HIV patients were shying away from DOTS centres, fearing their identities will be revealed
The distribution of TB meds at ART centers will reduce hassle for patients and reduce rush at the two centres holding up the fort. Representation pic
It was to battle two deadly ailments with one even-handed approach that the state TB department will now give TB medicines to HIV patients at all 15 Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centres every day, also free of cost. Currently, only two ART centres - at Nair and JJ Hospitals - provided it thrice a week, but following an order from the union government, with a delayed implementation, the change has been affected to curb the growing number of drug resistant TB cases.
Centres raring to go
"We have received all medicines from the central government and from next month, we will be able to start a daily dose from all centres. This will be a boon to patients and bridge the gap of supply and demand. This will certainly help in decreasing drug-resistant TB cases among HIV patients," said Sanjeev Kamble, in-charge of the state TB Department.
The pilot project was supposed to kick off in July, but according to Dr Srikala Acharya, director of State Aids Control Society, "There was a delay in issuing the tender by the central government that delayed the whole process by three months. Now we have received the required medicines and soon all ART centres will have them."
Vulnerability to TB
Several patients, who suffer from HIV, also get infected by TB due to low immunity. On an average, 1,500 patients with HIV are diagnosed with TB in the city every year. "It is essential for HIV-TB patients to take medicines for both the illnesses on a daily basis to stop the bacteria from becoming drug resistant," said Dr Nagsen Ramraje, head of the TB department at JJ Hospital.
Irregular intake of Directly Observed Treatment, Short-Course (DOTS) can lead to development of drug resistant TB, but many HIV-infected patients shied away for fear that their identities would be revealed. "Countries across the world have already adopted this method. It has proved fruitful in curbing drug resistant TB among HIV patients," said Arvind Mehra, an HIV activist.
Beneficiaries grateful
A 38-year-old resident of Kurla, suffering from HIV-TB has to go to the ART centre at Nair Hospital to take her medicine, but it has turned into a nightmare.
"My husband is a daily wage earner so he can't miss his duty. My son, who is only 16, has been burdened with the responsibility of the business and every month, he has to stand in long queue in the hospital to take my doses," she said.
Another patient, Shraddha Tiwari (name changed), is a Rajawadi resident who has to line up at JJ Hospital to procure her medicines. "If the ART centre at Rajawadi also starts keeping DOTS medicines, then many patients will be saved from the hassle," she said.
