BALASORE: The death of a person at the TB hospital in Balasore, on the eve of World Tuberculosis Day, has exposed the loose ends of the so called successful implementation of TB control programme to eradicate the deadly disease. Baidhar Singh (50) of Jadibali village in Nilagiri area succumbed in the hospital a couple of hours after he was admitted to the TB hospital on Friday. The hospital staff, however, tried to wash their hands of the TB death saying he was received in a critical condition.This despite tall claims by health workers to have reached every doorstep, especially the vulnerable areas like Nilagiri, Soro, Remuna and Oupada blocks, to include all suspected TB patients under the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP).Official records said 176 persons have died of TB in Balasore district in the last five years. While nearly 8,417 people suffering from TB during the period were provided DOTS, 7,160 have so far been cured.Statistics available with the district headquarters hospital indicated that the highest 43 persons died of the disease in 2008 followed by 39 in 2009 and 38 in 2007. The death figure in 2011 was 25, the lowest in five years. “Cough samples were collected from 38,955 persons during the period and among them 8,417 were found suffering from TB. The patients who took the medicines regularly were cured and those who stopped taking DOTS midway met with tragic end. We have failed to control the disease due to non-cooperation of patients who don’t make regular visits to doctors,” said TB hospital in-charge Pravat Kumar Behera.While malnutrition, ignorance and consumption of polluted water have been stated to be the reasons behind the proliferation of the disease, constant exposure to pollution in several crusher units and lack of awareness among the patients have proved detrimental for its eradication.Meanwhile, Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDRT) has become a cause of concern among the patients and the physicians. MDRT is a form of TB that does not respond to standard treatment and takes around two years for cure using highly toxic drugs.“MDRT initially developed in patients being treated for drug-sensitive TB, when they failed to complete their course. In Balasore, four have been diagnosed with MDRT and referred to SCB Medical for treatment which costs nearly ` 2 lakh to be borne by the Government,” Behera said.
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