They still believe TB is untreatable

[Guest guest]

" They still believe TB is untreatable "

It was overwhelming moment for all the villagers when the 50 years old

Shivdayal Pasi (schedule caste) died because of TB. Ganga Jamuni, a

village around 110 km away from the state capital of Uttar Pradesh,

situated in Bahraich district, is becoming more vulnerable towards

preventable TB. Shivdayal is not the only one who had died because of

TB. There are others in this village who are struggling with TB.

This village has a population of about 1,200 people including children. For the

last four years more than six TB patients has been detected in this village.

They believe, TB is untreatable and can easily lead to death. They have seen

their forefathers too dying of TB.

They haven't seen the miracle of simple antibiotics to treat TB.

" Please save my father's life, otherwise my whole family will be in deep

trouble, because he is the only bread winner in our family with 11 members " ,

says Ranjeet, 14 years old son of Shivdayal.

In this village all the patients belong to the Schedule caste and have a very

low economic and social status. They all are daily wage workers and sometimes go

to the cities to look for employment.

Local TB records don't show the incidence of TB, or drug-resistant TB in Ganga

Jamuni. Because the people from this village go to tertiary level hospitals when

everything else fails to work! Moreover there are no drug-susceptibility

laboratories even in the district of Bahraich.

The nearest primary healthcare centre is 10 km away. At this centre,

there is no provision of DOTS.

When Shivdayal was first detected for TB, he couldn't take proper and

free medicines at the DOTS centre. Because the DOTS centre is very far

from their village and there is no affordable transportation except his bicycle.

Increasing number of the TB cases is a major concern for the villagers.

But they don't know how to prevent it, because they don't have enough

knowledge and information for TB prevention, treatment and care. Most

often, TB is associated with a imminent death sentence.

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Thanks and regards,

Amit Dwivedi

09839412418

e-mail: <contactdwivediji@...>