STOP TB

Young and bright is the first impression I got when I first met Mr. Vijaywin Bright. Blessed with a loving family and extremely caring wife, little did I know that Bright’s treatment would turn into a long process. This 37 year old had already discontinued TB treatment once. Learning this I started him on treatment after giving him ample counseling, which I thought would be sufficient. During the course of time however I learnt that he was a severe alcoholic, when I enquired why he was into the habit,” I have to work for long hours in mortuaries on the cooling systems there, to put up with the foul smell I have to drink” is what Bright replied who works as an a/c mechanic.  

Later he told me he had to take pan to put up with the bitterness of the anti TB tablets. Though I worked with him and his family constantly trying to make him adhere to treatment regularly, he discontinued ttreatment. After a gap of four months he came back to me requesting me to put him back on treatment. This time his health had deteriorated severely, he also seemed to be in a confused state of mind.

I have initiated Bright back on treatment and still have the hope and confidence that Bright’s life can be made bright again by curing him of Tuberculosis through constant counseling and motivation.

Shanthi

Filed Staff

REACH Blog Team

schmidj@who.int.

Ramji giving a TB talk

What leads to what, we often have no clue. Diagnosis of TB for my dad, landed me in the profession of helping TB patients towards cure. Taking my dad through the process of diagnosis and treatment through the REACH DOTS centre at the Sugam hospital in Thiruvotiyur made me realize that this is what I would actually like to do instead of working as a supervisor in a factory, where I experienced no job satisfaction.  

Ever since, there has been no looking back for the past five years.

Though being a Chennite from birth, my roots are from the north in UP, which has been an added advantage for me in my work at REACH. My knowledge of Hindi has given me the opportunity to work with all the Hindi speaking patients of REACH. When my colleagues face a communication problem with their Hindi speaking patients, I have always been happy to be at their service by taking up the role of a translator.

The work culture at REACH has been very encouraging from day 1 and the management and my colleagues have been instrumental in helping me grow as an individual and a professional.

My work has exposed me to the worst living conditions and served as an eye opener to reality. My tolerance level was put to test when a patient once vomited on me while swallowing his tablets. That moment taught me that I genuinely cared for my patients. 

I have faced many challenges in terms of handling patients with different problems like alcoholism or family problems which hinder their treatment, but learnt to handle each patient according to his or her situation.

From field worker, to field staff, to field officer today I have undergone a tremendous learning process which I hope will continue in the future and enable me to help more people from sickness to cure.           

Ramji, Field Officer

REACH Blog Team

Seen in the picture is Mary talking about spreading the TB message through CSG groups. She has been instrumental in forming CSG groups and delivering TB talks in her village. Mary is a source of great positivity says Joseph, district coordinator of Kancheepuram district.

Often when I come across many inspiring human beings on the field involved in remarkable deeds of doing well to their fellow men I wonder why these people go unnoticed by the public eye, unlike the celebrities who often get involved in acts of kindness to popularize their public images.

Hearing about more such people or meeting them through my colleagues for the purpose of our blog makes me realize that many kind hearted socially conscious people still do exist out there, who still go out of their way to bring about a positive change in the life of someone else.

These people are indicators that the world is still a nice place to live in and that there is still hope for humanity.

However it is sad that in society negative news makes the rounds faster and good news often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. We often find ourselves complaining or heatedly discussing the several things that go wrong in our day to day lives, that we often don’t take time to notice the many nice things that also do take place around us.

Lets all wake up to the goodness around us, notice it and appreciate it. Try it, it really sparks off a lot of positive energy within you, which I personally experience when I blog about our work at REACH…………..Try it, it really works.

Anne Theresa Suresh Kumar

REACH Blog Team  

The verandah of Chellamal's house serving as space for the village women to gather for a CSG meeting where TB and ways of eradicating it are discussed

Seen in the photo is a group of women viewing the REACH "Inaintha Kaigal" short TB film in Janaki's house during a CSG meeting

Young and energetic, Chellamal and Janaki of Kancheepuram district have always come forward in lending space in their homes for CSG meetings. Both these women are Self Help Group leaders, so working for a common cause is not new to them.

They have always been extensively supportive and gone out of their way to facilitate our ACSM meetings in their homes. They have always been very accommodative in fitting our meeting timings with their family routines.

To them providing a platform to spread the TB message is their way of stopping TB…

Thanks to the many people like Chellamal and Janaki, our ACSM efforts are progressing in the right direction.

REACH Blog Team

Seen in the photograph sitting second from left is Dr. Jaya Shreedhar, Technical Health Advisor, Internews Network, Dr. M. S. Jawahar, Deputy Director, TRC, Dr. Nalini Krishnan, Director, REACH, Ms. Chitra Mahesh, Media Consultant and standing from left Ms. Anupama Srinivasan, Media Consultant, Dr. Ramya Ananthakrishnan, Medical Director REACH and Dr. Padma Priyadarshan, Senior Research Officer, TRC with the fellows of the media program

Dr. Ramya elucidating on the socio-economic factors that impact TB

Dr. Jawahar giving the fellows the profile of Tuberculosis

The space enclosed between the four walls of the Genesis hall at Hotel Breeze was filled with discussions, brain storming, learning, experience and views sharing during the two –day orientation cum training program on 5^th and 6^th July organized by REACH for the ten journalists, all affiliated to local language publications, from across India who have been awarded fellowships by the REACH Lilly MDR-TB Partnership Program.

Over the two days, the group discussed the science of tuberculosis, the structure of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) in India and the

challenges in the management of TB including MDR-TB, TB-HIV co-infection, the

role of private practitioners and stigma. In addition, the journalists participated

in several skills-building sessions led by Dr. Jaya Shreedhar, Technical Health

Advisor, Internews Network, learning to use data and statistics for health

reporting and identifying common challenges in reporting on public health.

Interacting with the group, Dr. V Kumaraswami, Director-in-charge,

Tuberculosis Research Centre (TRC) urged journalists to find creative ways to

keep the issue of TB alive in the media.

Dr. M S Jawahar, Deputy Director, TRC, pointed out TB was one of the greatest serial killers in history. “But unlike the others, TB continues to be as big a problem today as it was many years ago”, he said.

Dr. Padma Priyadarshini, Senior Research Officer, TRC, spoke of the difficulties in diagnosing and controlling HIV-TB co infection. Dr. Ramya

Ananthakrishnan, Medical Director, REACH, highlighted the need to study the

socio-economic factors that have a tremendous impact on TB, including poverty

and nutrition.

Participants also visited the District TB Centre in Chennai to meet program

staff and gain first-hand understanding of how the program functions.

Through this initiative REACH hopes to soon see sustained reporting on Tuberculosis in local language papers.

REACH Blog Team

“He is a tough patient. Don’t waste your time on him”.

This is what I was told about 55 year old Kathamuthu whom I spotted with symptoms during a TB Awareness Program for Self Help Group Members. Being a harsh person he had threatened medical staff who had coaxed him to be regular with his drugs during previous treatment.

Initially he lied to me about his previous treatment. After several sessions he came out with the truth and I started him on treatment again, but I did not loose heart when he defaulted within two weeks.

Stationed outside a police station Kathamuthu earns his lively hood working as a cobbler. Being a tough father and husband  his children and wife didn’t share a cordial relationship with him, a result of which he was uncared for and usually ate what the police men from the station gave him.

I located his wife and through continuous dialogues got her back to stay with him. I then spoke to both his son and daughter and made them realize that there was also a positive side in him as no human is bad, it all depends on our circumstances. His children have now taken charge of motivating their dad towards completing his treatment.

This man who was once hostile towards me and avoided my presence understands my work and its purpose and has referred two patients so far and is regular with his own treatment.

Looking back I realize that nothing is impossible, all it takes to reverse a situation is a genuine interest in whatever you do.

Shanthi

REACH Blog Team

A native of Kancheepuram, Kamatchi was in a total mess when I first met her. Having no family to care for her, TB was a total shock to her. When she came to us through her doctor, she was not for the idea of taking treatment through an organization.

I spent several sittings with her and educated her thoroughly on the disease and the strategy through which it could be cured. She finally agreed and took up treatment. Kamatchi was regular with her treatment and I kept a constant tag on her throughout the treatment period making sure she was motivated to complete medication.

Today this 38 year old is cured and is back to her native.

When in Chennai, she makes it a point to call me up and enquire about our team. Hearing her happy voice which was once an echo of sadness and misery, recharges the professional in me to carry on my work with greater zeal.  

REACH Blog Team

Meeting Meenakshi and Jaya was an enriching experience and an awakening to the fact that every human being has the innate capacity to do good.

Meenakshi who is 38 and functions as the head lady for her area, Varma Nagar , Thiruvallur district has been part of the REACH ACSM project for the past one and a half years and has identified ten patients with symptoms and  referred them for treatment, out of which nine have completed treatment and one is on treatment. She is also the DOT provider for three patients and also goes on house visits to the patient’s homes.

“One should not feel shy or hesitate to take treatment. Free treatment is available, this opportunity should be used and not wasted” she says enthusiastically.

Her friend and neighbor Jaya, who is a flower vendor is equally enthusiastic about this role that they play and says she feels very happy to be a facilitator for a good cause and never hesitates to spread the TB message by speaking boldly in meetings and encouraging people to take treatment. She has tremendous family support for the cause and has arranged meetings in her house six times and has been instrumental in curing nearly ten patients.

“People should avoid contracting the disease by eating healthy and maintaining their immunity. Once the presence of symptoms is noticed don’t hesitate to get checked”says Jaya on a positive note………………  

REACH Blog Team

From being CARRIED to being able to WALK

I remember a few months back my colleague Nalini had mentioned that she would be taking a neighbor to the District TB centre as she has been afflicted with TB. She personally accompanied the patient Mrs. Kasthuri a 55 year lady who was so ill that she had to be carried by her son to the centre.
The Senior Treatment Supervisor (STS), Mr.Mohan started her on treatment.

In the initial weeks the patient found it hard to tolerate the medicines and literally cried to her son not to take her to the DTC for the doses.

I saw how Nalini was a bit anxious as to whether the patient would survive the treatment.

In the course of our work, I forgot to enquire about the patient.

During a recent Review Meeting for the Community Support Group leaders at Thiruvellore, I spent some time thanking the STS Mr.Mohan for his support.

Seen in the picture first from the right is Mr. Mohan during a REACH awareness program, extending his support.

He said,”Ms.Nalini brought in a very sick patient who could hardly walk, but after completing our treatment she walked out by herself”

It came to my mind how I had failed to enquire about the patient…

I felt very proud about what my colleague had done.

Sheela Augustine

REACH Blog Team