Nagpur: “To be cured of tuberculosis, the solution is not just drugs but also nutritious food. I ate a lot of food, and never missed a medicine,” said Kunal Meshram, a tuberculosis survivor, and a doctor himself. It took him over a year to get back on his feet, but he managed to clear his UPSC exams as well as his fitness test. Meshram was speaking at an event organized by department of respiratory and community medicine of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) to mark World TB Day. Deputy registrar of RTMNU Dr Anil Hirekhan was the chief guest.
Ganesh Tayade, father of a female TB patient, choked as he advised parents of other patients to maintain a peaceful environment in the house, instead of being stressed and worried. “Follow doctor’s advice to the word, and practice meditation, allowing for positive thoughts. Frustration at such times is not uncommon,” he said.
Harshal Parshaniwar, another cured patient, shared how he was shattered when detected with TB, and spent another nine months taking the wrong medicines. “I said to myself, ‘as long as I’m alive, I’m a survivor’. I’ve grown stronger,” he said.
GMCH dean Abhimanyu Niswade said that science had ignored TB for long. “We were traditional in our methods, until there were advances and further trials. There is still no evaluation of the TB programme carried out by the government, even if there have been modifications,” he said, adding that private hospitals have only recently started offering treatment for TB.
Even in public health department, TB is an independent programme. There is no assessment and no feedback from the people there, he said, adding that getting rid of TB should become a social movement now.
Opening the event, head of the department of respiratory medicine Dr Sushant Meshram shared the government’s vision of ending TB by 2025. Most deaths due to TB take place in the age group of 15 to 50 years. “Every year, three lakh children have to quit education due to TB, and a lakh women become widows. Even 200 years after TB was diagnosed for the first time, we are at the same stage. We need to introspect at individual, state and national level. Eradication of TB should be seen as a social responsibility instead of purely medical problem,” he said.
Hirekhan said 26 per cent of TB patients in the world are in India. “Some 94 people died due to TB last year in Nagpur. Poor people suffer due to uncleanliness. Social upliftment and public awareness on a large scale is necessary. Colleges dedicated to social work can help contribute to the cause,” he said.
A sensitization program was also carried out by the faculty of the organizing departments of GMCH at the event.
