Rayagada: The Centresponsored ‘Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ has gone for a toss in this district. This is because of the unavailability of medicines for tuberculosis patients in the last three months, sources informed Wednesday. This Central scheme is implemented through respective state governments. However, here the situation is pretty grim with even the district headquarters hospital (DHH) exhausting its stock of TB medicines. In the last six months, 698 cases of tuberculosis have been reported from this district.
A total of 152 patients are undergoing treatment at the DHH. The number of patients affected by the disease in different blocks stands at: Bissam Cuttack (118), Gunupur (87), Kashipur (55), Kolnara (49), Gudari (47), Muniguda (43), Kalyansingpur and Ramnaguda (both 38), Padmapur (37) and Chandrapur (34). Most of the family members of the patients alleged that the Health department has failed to provide the medicines needed for treatment. ASHA workers in rural areas have also run out of stock of TB medicines.
Moreover, the medicines are not available at local clinics and medicine shops as the government has imposed restrictions on their sale. Due to this, the conditions of many tuberculosis patients are deteriorating, locals said. Dr DK Dev, an expert on the disease and working at the DHH here informed that timely administration of medicines to a TB patient is a must. He added that the treatment is long-term. “The state government is not supplying medicines required for TB patients due to which there is scarcity,” said district CDMO Dr Lalmohan Routray. “We have apprised our higher authorities about the situation. They have directed us to acquire the medicines from other districts. We are trying to do that, but then the demand is growing,” Routray added. Rayagada being a tribal-dominated district, there is this affinity among people to take the help of quacks.
Many TB patients are visiting quacks for treatment complicating the situation all the more, sources pointed out. A vegetable vendor of Amalabhata village in this district requesting anonymity said that he tested positive for TB more than five weeks back. He visited a doctor who prescribed him medicines on a regular basis for six months. “I had visited a number of shops and even the DHH, but I did not get the medicines. I waited for a month, but to no avail. Ultimately I had to get the medicines from Berhampur through a relative,” he informed. “This just goes to show how tuberculosis patients are suffering in this district,” he added.