TB detection drive goes off track

KOCHI:  The TB early detection drive which was supposed to take off on February 18 in Kochi has hit a roadblock after the mobile van carrying the state-of-the-art diagnostic lab broke down in Kottayam, the other week. The mobile clinic was meant to cater to patients living in the coastal areas and tribal hamlets as most of the families do not have access to such tests. "In the past, diagnosis of TB was limited by identifying through the sputum collected in samples.

However, now that the system has changed and advanced tools such as TB NAT test (Nuclear Acid Amplification) which involves identifying the disease from the DNA of a person is available at the general hospital and Medical College, identifying TB-affected persons has become easy. The mobile clinic was meant for those who cannot arrive at the hospitals for the check-up, because travelling is not an easy option for them," said District TB officer Sharath Rao. 

"The van, carrying the diagnostic testing machine broke down in Kottayam and is being repaired. We are hoping it will arrive soon, so we can continue with the drive," he said. According to him, constant detection is necessary to monitor the presence of TB in the district and keep it at bay.  This is the second time the mobile clinic will be arriving in Kochi. The first was in September.

The response was good but limited. "We were able to identify 20 positive cases from the coastal areas. However, there were issues because people and even the panchayat officials were not aware of the drive. There are several hurdles in detecting affected people among the fishermen community as most of them won't be available during the morning hours when the drive is conducted. However, we hope we will receive a good response this time," said another TB health officer.

Meanwhile, there are cases of TB being reported in migrant pockets in the city. "It is quite difficult to keep a check on them. Sometimes, a migrant worker who is already a TB patient but has not yet been identified and working in one place will spread the disease to others. When the contractor learns of the issue, he is laid off the job. He seeks work elsewhere and is once again a risk for the other migrants in a new area. This is why such early detection tests are important," she said.