1,500 new TB cases reported in Krishna district

Vijayawada: Krishna District Tuberculosis Control Society (KDTCS) noticed 1,500 new cases in the district last year and has been trying to identify more cases this year with the help of private doctors. Tuberculosis,commonly known as TB, is infected by bacteria known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and it mainly affects the lungs and other parts of the body.

The state and central government are working with objective of eradicating tuberculosis by 2025. As part of it, district TB control societies in the state are working in co-ordination with other departments and private hospitals and treating the patients. About 7,500 TB patients are getting treatment and medicine free of cost in the district from 50 centres located at various places across the district.

Earlier, the government used to collectdetails of TB cases from the Government hospitals only. Now, the government has enacted a law that all private doctors must communicate to the Government about the TB patients and the treatment. Krishna District TB control officer Dr P V S N Sastry told The Hans India that criminal cases would be booked against the private doctors if the latter did not communicate to the Government about the TB cases and treatment.

Dr Sastry said that TB control department identified 1,500 cases last year with the help of private doctors and been trying to identify more cases this year.He said 'We are trying to get information of all TB cases so that we can give treatment to all patients free of cost and eradicate the disease from the country', he added.

He said 50 TB testing centres and 20 advanced testing centres are functioning in the district where people can visit and go for test free of cost. The advanced machines show the details of the disease, stage and diagnosis procedures also, said Dr Sastry. He said TB can be cured in six months if the disease is in initial stage and it will take 24 to 30 months if the disease is in advanced stage.

Dr Sastry said the Government is distributing new drug Bedaquilline, a dose of six months costs Rs.18 lakh. Another drug with combination of four drugs are also distributed free of cost to cure and control the TB. Some patients may take one or two types of drugs and ignore the others. To avoid such problem, the Government is distributing new drug with combination of four drugs, said Dr Sastry.

The Government is offering Rs.500 to the TB patient to get nutrition food and incentive of Rs.5000 to the drug providers, who administer the patients. Referring to the symptoms of TB, Dr Sastry said if a person gets cough for two or three weeks continuously or suffers from fever, it can be said that he is affected by the disease.

Lack of immunity and resistance power are the prime reasons for disease, said Dr Keerthi of VasavyaMahilamandali. She said the MahilaMandali is creating awareness on the Tuberculosis and conducting tests free of cost at Ranigari Thota in Krishnalanka.