STOP TB

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

As I was leaving the main District TB centre after attending the Review Meeting with Community Support Group leaders in Tiruvellore I met the Senior Treatment Supervisor (STS) Mr.Mohan.

I thanked him for his support and this is what he said………………“ Of the people who attended the meeting today, Mrs. Devi is a very dedicated person who has brought 3 patients to me so far and agrees to be the DOT Provider for others too. I need to have people like her to ensure direct observation. Your programs are very useful. Please identify more such people especially in Nemam area. ”

This statement shows how our ACSM work is slowly bearing fruit…

Sheela Augustine

REACH Blog Team

Shanthi at the REACH office

“Tolerance, compassion and a kind nature were personality traits that I carried right from my childhood” says Shanthi, the ten month old staff working at the REACH Sugam Hospital DOTS Centre.

“My paternal aunt who was a spinster and worked as a Corporation Mid wife was my mentor. She played an instrumental role in bringing me up by paying my school fees and providing for my other needs. I grew up in total admiration of her whole hearted care for her patients. Another person from whom I learnt the art of time management, decision making, anger management and positive thinking is my previous director Sister Sophie, at my former job”, adds Shanthi.

Her family is also a great source of support for her excellence in work. They understand her job and are also inclined towards helping people, which is an added advantage for her she feels.

Shanthi handles a large case list and attributes her proficiency in handling these cases to the support extended by the doctors, the RNTCP staff and her colleagues at REACH.

Above all the secret behind the job satisfaction that she enjoys every single day, she says stems down from the love for her job.

“I enjoy my job and that’s what makes all the difference” concludes a happy and satisfied Shanthi.

REACH Blog Team

Parvathy with pleaded me to put her husband back on treatment when I first met her for the default study that REACH has undertaken with Eli Lilly.

Sakthivel had discontinued TB treatment thrice and has been a carrier of the TB bacilli for the past six years. Aged 28 and a skilled construction worker, he also happens to be a severe alcoholic.

Once on treatment he takes the drugs for a few months and then due to the false sense of wellbeing and his habitual vice put together he discontinues treatment. No amount of counseling or persuasion seems to have worked with this man.

Parvathy’s husband had been under admission immediately after both her deliveries and she spent several nights in the hospital nursing her husband and her new borns. Her elder son contracted the disease and was treated and has been cured.

Parvathy says she was able to save her child from the disease but is unable to do the same for her husband.

Parvathy lives in a state of poverty though her spouse earns a decent income which is spent on his drinking habit. She runs the household by washing dishes in a hotel.

I still saw a ray of hope in this frail but pretty woman’s eyes as she said that her husband now seems to realize the severity of the disease and would adhere to treatment if given another chance.

K. Nalini

REACH Blog Team