Telangana: Not reporting TB cases can land doctors, druggists into jail

HYDERABAD: Officials from State TB Cell hoped that the long standing issue of private clinical establishments not reporting TB cases will get resolved with the new rule according to which hospital managements, pharmacists, druggists could be jailed if they fail to notify TB cases.In 2017, out of total 48,268 TB cases in Telangana, only 15 per cent (7,698) cases were reported by private clinical establishments. 

On March 16, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through gazette notification stated that if a clinical establishment, pharmacist, chemist or druggist fail to notify a tuberculosis patient to public health authorities, or nodal officer, they ‘may attract the provisions of sections 269 and 270 of Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860)’. The cases can lead to imprisonment up to two years or fine. Earlier,if a private medical practitioner reported a TB Case, they were given `100 and if the practitioner completely cures the patient, they could get `500. 

Apart from the monetary incentive, there was no other means for State TB Cell authorities to make private establishment to report the cases. After the notification was issued, the officials said the number of cases reported will rise. Government of India has set a target to eliminate TB by 2025. The officials and pulmonologists have pointed out on many occasions that the number of TB and MDR-TB cases will continue to rise if the cases are not reported, as it is an air-borne disease. 

“This rule will definitely help us to know more cases, attend the patients and try to persuade them to continue taking medicines till they are cured. Till now, the rate of reporting from private clinics ranged from 10 to 15 per-cent. Apart from this, to ensure nutrition to the patients, `500 per month will be directly transferred to their accounts. This will start from next financial year (from April),” an official from State TB Cell said. 

The official added that when a person is identified with TB, they are also conducting tests to know if person has Multidrug Resistant TB to avoid deterioration of health. While earlier there were only 15 CBNAAT machines-which are used for rapid diagnosis of drug resistant TB, now 31 are available. 

Anaesthesia injection given during delivery red flagged by govt officials

Is health of pregnant women getting admitted at government hospitals at risk because of a particular anaesthesia? Officials from the State Health department hold this suspicion. They even asked the officers concerned to immediately stop using injection Bupivacaine Hydrochloride administered to women during cesarean delivery. Marking the message to be treated as ‘important and urgent,’ joint director of Maternal Health and Nutrition Dr S Padmaja in a communication to heads of various health departments, stated in the letter that “Inj Bupivacaine Hydrochloride bearing batch no.BP11739AC ( mfg 10/2017 exp 09/2019) which is being used for anaesthesia is to be stopped with immediate effect as it was brought to notice that it had caused severe adverse effects in mothers during LSCS”.

LSCS is Lower Segment Cesarean Section. Sources from the health department confirmed to Express that the letter was sent to all officials. This gains significance as a committee which investigated cause for five maternal deaths at Niloufer Hospital, reported between January 28 to February 4-2017, suspected that quality of drugs as possible cause of the deaths.