STOP TB

I couldn’t bring myself to believe that Kalyani was so untouched by my counseling in terms of stigma, and that even today on the day of her completing treatment, her fear of TB was still very much intact, leaving no room for acceptance that it is just a disease and that there is no need for it to be locked up like a skeleton in the cupboard.

This 36 year old soft spoken fragile looking lady was in tears the day I first met her when she was diagnosed with TB. “TB!!!” was her initial reaction and her face spelt absolute disbelief. Even after an hour of talking to her, she still seemed highly agitated. Why me? How would I tell my husband and mother in law? Please don’t reveal this to any body, don’t come to my house for home visits otherwise I would loose my life, I would end up homeless! , these were the statements she made on the first day. These statements are what she makes today also even after being cured. The intensity of her fear is still the same, absolutely undiluted till date in spite of all my efforts.

Kalyani attributes her fear to the fact that none of her family members would view TB as just a disease that spreads through air. They would discriminate her as cursed and sinful if they ever came to know. So I promised her that I would maintain confidentiality to the core and made arrangements accordingly for her to take treatment. At the same time I continuously kept trying to drive home the message that she could try to talk to her family members about the disease and that I would support her in doing so, but I remained in square one as far as this effort was concerned.

Seeing Kalyani cured today gives me the satisfaction of being instrumental in curing one more TB patient but at the same time a sense of inadequacy lingers behind my mind because of being unable to alter the level of stigma in this patient’s life. 

The numbers of Kalyanis out there are many and there is still a big challenge for health professionals like us to handle.

(The patients name has been changed to maintain confidentiality)

Revathy

Field Staff

REACH Blog Team

Brain storming at REACH, landed us up with an innovative idea of creating awareness using a post card. Through this initiative we aim at sensitizing 1 lakh people about the basic facts of TB using a post card which displays the image of actor Surya, a pledge to STOP TB and basic TB facts. 

The person who volunteers to take the pledge should sensitize 5 people about TB, sign the card and post it back to us.

Among all returned cards, 100 people would be selected through a lucky draw. These lucky hundred would be given the privilege of meeting up with actor Surya, an added incentive for spreading the TB message.

The post card was launched through the Speak Up To Stop Campaign on February 13^th 2010 by the Honorable Mayor of Chennai, Thiru. M. Subramanian,  

 This is an initiative taken in line with the theme of the World TB Day, 2010 – Innovate to Accelerate Action!

REACH Blog Team

Dear Panneer Selvam

TB is an air borne disease and it does not spread through clothes or any other such modes except air. TB affects you only when your immunity power is low, so allm you have to do is always ensure that you have a balanced diet, exercise well and avoid habitual vices like alcohol and smoking.

Stay informed and keep healthy.

Anne Theresa Suresh Kumar

REACH Blog Team

Two years back I suffered from TB lymph node and had pus in the node for which I took treatment. I would like to know whether I can wear the same clothes again or should I dispose them.

Panneer Selvam

The ambassador for TB, the versatile Tamil actor Surya, congratulated REACH for the initiative of setting up a helpline for Tuberculosis, which could help people clear their queries about the disease, when he spoke as the first caller to Mr. N. Ram, Editor in Chief The Hindu during the launch of the TB Helpline on February 13^th at a community function on the 10^th year REACH. He said it was a good venture, as people would now have a number to call for TB related doubts similar to the helpline for AIDS that already exists.

Surya stressed on the importance for people to know about the disease to eradicate stigma as well as the disease and conveyed his best to all the people working towards the cause of Tuberculosis.   

This helpline would function round the clock for the benefit of the general public to raise awareness levels about the disease, diagnostic and treatment centers and the DOTS

 (Directly Observed Treatment Short Course) strategy under the RNTCP (Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program).

REACH Blog Team

 

After graduation I got married and started work on the COHORT study for a Cancer project, where I continued to work for three years before I joined REACH. An ad in The Hindu brought   me for an interview with our director Dr. Nalini Krishnan. She briefed me on how TB was an issue and told me that my responsibilities would include patient care and advocacy.

After the interview my ignorance about TB and the fact that it was a contagious disease created a lot of fear within me, which was increased by my husbands concern, who felt it was not safe for me to work in this field.

However, in spite of all the fears that kept playing on my mind I went ahead and got appointed. The initial training that I was given on TB at REACH before starting work deleted all fear and made me well informed and empowered to take up the job.

Seven years back when I started work my duties were limited to patient care and advocacy, but today it has broadened a lot and  I am also involved in sensitizing doctors and pharmacists about DOTS, meeting area leaders and facilitating community programs.

Though all the patients I work with are TB patients, I need to constantly keep in mind the fact that each patient is unique and exists in a different situation and mould my approach accordingly. Many patients face different problems like poverty, family discord, spousal abuse and alcoholism, which become severe in the presence of the disease.

In cases where the patients family or spouse are indifferent towards TB treatment , my role though initially not very welcomed finally has led to  positive outcomes, as most of them are moved by our concern for the patient, that they finally pitch in and start participating actively towards helping the patient recover.

However they are always a very few patients who default the reasons being bitterness of tablets, poverty, alcoholism, stigma, work pressure, migration and the inability to understand the seriousness of the disease.

Positive indicators on the field  include the growing involvement of  people in the community as DOT providers, the constant decline of private anti TB treatment and the increase in DOTS treatment being undertaken, the increasing acceptance of private doctors of DOTS.

My job has exposed me to different situations and different people right from the common man to highly placed officials and my job requires a great sense of tolerance and the readiness to accept both extremes of behavior from patients and their families.

At this juncture of my career I experience a great sense of satisfaction and worth which is reflected in the smile of a cured patient which radiates deep gratitude.   

M.Chitra

Field Staff

REACH Blog Team

REACH celebrated its service in the field of TB care and control for a decade on February 13^th in a community function at the Russian Cultural Centre. The occasion was used to inaugurate the Speak Up To Stop Campaign and the REACH TB Help Line.

Press release of the event in The Hindu

 

Dr. Nalini Krishnan, Director, REACH walked down memory lane at the Clive Hall, Taj Coromandel Hotel, Chennai on February 19^th at a gathering organized to signify the completion of ten years in TB care and control.

She spoke on how REACH was initiated with a team of three and how it has grown in number reaching out throughout Chennai and now into the districts also.

She used the occasion to thank all the people who had been instrumental in bringing REACH to this juncture.

Dr. Ramya took the audience through a detailed presentation of the work accomplished over the period of ten years.

The staff and management of REACH were felicitated for their years of dedicated service.

The occasion was also used to give out the REACH – Lilly MDR TB Partnership Award to journalists and students of journalism which is an initiative to encourage the media to report on Tuberculosis. .

The winners of the awards were Ms. Zubeda Hamid of The New Indian Express, Mr. Kounteya Sinha of The Times of India and Ms. Ramya Kannan from The Hindu.

A press kit for media proffessionals was also released on the occassion

In case you would be interested in reading the award winning articles on TB, please contact us at 65211047 or 28610332.

Anne Theresa Suresh Kumar

REACH Blog Team

For the past 6 months I have been taking TB medication. Now, my health has improved and I am feeling much better. Mr.Bharat, a pharmacist working in a medical shop was my DOT Provider. He gave me the tablets regularly. The proximity of the pharmacy to my residence, made it convenient for me to adhere to treatment and I had no problems with this regard.

Thanks a lot to REACH.

The patient Annamal has completed treatment.

REACH Blog Team

REACH will be organizing a public function to commemorate 10 years of service in TB Care and Control on 19 th February, 2010 at the Clive and Dupleix room, Taj Coromandel Hotel, Nungambakkam High Road, Chennai – 34 between 3.00p.m. To 4.00 p.m…

Dr.L.S.Chauhan, Deputy Director General- TB, Ministry of Health, Government of India, Thiru V.K.Subburaj, Principal Secretary-Health, Government of Tamil Nadu, Tmt Girija Vaidyanathan, Mission Director, NRHM, Dr.Nevin Wilson, Director, The Union, South East Asia, Dr.Kuganantham, Corporation Health Officer, Dr.C.Chinnaswamy, State TB Officer, Ms.Sunita Prasad, Consultant, MDR-TB and CSR, Eli Lilly and Company  Dr. V. Kumaraswamy, Director-in-Charge- TRC, and Dr. Senthilnathan, District TB Officer, Chennai will be the guests of honor.

There will also be presentations about REACH which will provide an overview of the 10 years of our work and we will use the moment to rededicate our efforts for a TB free society.

To encourage the media to report on Tuberculosis, the REACH – Lilly MDR TB Partnership Award was constituted and announced. On this occasion the selected journalists and five students of journalism will also be receiving the awards tomorrow.

It’s our joy and privilege to celebrate our 10^th year with people who have made it possible for us to dream of a TB free Chennai and to use the occasion to enthuse and motivate them towards the same goal.

REACH thanks all people, for being and reaching with us, towards this significant milestone of our organization

REACH Blog Team