Our CorrespondentLudhiana, August 29
Ludhiana may fast emerge as the “TB capital” of North India if claims made by a non-government organisation, which is working hard to check the disease, are any indication. While the state Health Department is yet to launch an offensive against the disease, the NGO-TB Eradication Society — has taken up the cudgels against the spread of the disease.
India has the world’s highest incidence of tuberculosis, a fact established by a recent report of the WHO according to a study by the NGO more than 15 per cent of the population of Ludhiana suffering from TB. Insanitary conditions and impoverished lifestyle has made the lower strata of society more susceptible to the disease. A major constituent of the TB-effected population are the migrant labourers, the NGO claims. This disease is mostly prevalent in the industrial workers from UP, Bihar, Nepal and Punjabis working in different industries in Ludhiana.
The insanitary conditions, the overcrowding, poor hygiene and poor diet are the factors which lead to increase in the incidence of this deadly disease. The much hyped state level TB eradication programme launched in Guru Nanak Dev Bhavan in December last, has failed to take off as there was no coordination between the government and non-government agencies. Even the much talked of sample collection centre to be set up at one railway station or other places has not come up.
In this grim situation, two doctors Dr Satish Nauria and Dr Savita Nauria, and their colleagues have set up a TB Eradication Society. with the help of industrial houses. The society has a clinic in Focal Point and since a large number of workers employed in factories in Focal Point and Industrial Area suffer from TB, the society distributes medicine free of cost to poor patients who could not afford the treatment. The doctors also make routine check-up and educate people about this fatal disease.
Mr Mukesh Ghai is the executive member of the society and one such camp was organised on the premises of his factory Sidh Tools Pvt Ltd at Kohara, Chandigarh Road. The camp was attended by 150 workers from the nearby factories. State Bank of India was also associated with the holding of this camp. Mr Prem Verma, the Chief Manager, SBI Gill Road branch, said they were going to plant 100 saplings and also provide nine months’ medicine to two TB patients.
Dr Nauria informed that the patients would be screened and on August 30, after getting the X-ray reports the patients would be given medicines free of cost. He said, “Tuberculosis is a curable disease provided the treatment is taken properly. The treatment period of this disease is about six to nine months including X-ray, lab investigations every month which is quite costly. Therefore, many of the workers cannot afford this treatment. The worst thing is that when the patients start getting better they give up the treatment and fall sick again. It is necessary to eradicate this disease as one TB patient can transfer the disease to ten more persons.
