|
|
|
|
Manpower crunch pips TB programme
Chatwallah lends a helping hand
Surinder, who has a kiosk outside a mosque in Dhamawala, has been part of the DOTS
programme since 2005 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
For safe delivery, call 108
School students get Met talk
Plenty of fashion brands for children too
|
|
Manpower crunch pips TB programme
Dehradun, March 23 In all, there have been 13,321 cases of tuberculosis positive cases in the state for the year ending 2008. Since the start of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) programme in 2004, the Uttarakhand government has achieved 85 per cent success in treating patients. But at the same it has failed to detect fresh cases whose number may be as high. Lack of manpower is hindering the tabulation of the state-specific data. The State Tuberculosis Control Society in Uttarakhand says in a population of one lakh, the incidence of TB cases may be around 260 patients per year. “The number of sputum positive patients detected is 95 per lakh population per year; 80 per cent of these cases are of pulmonary tuberculosis and 20 per cent could be due to other forms of TB afflicting skin or other body parts,” said Dr AP Mamgai. As of now, Dehradun with 2,645 cases has the highest number of tuberculosis (positive) cases in the state for the year 2008, followed by 1,840 cases in Udham Singh Nagar, 1,679 in Nainital and 1,115 in Pauri Garhwal. Though there are equal number of men and women suffering from TB, the latter seem to recover faster from the disease with regular medicines. “Women patients take the treatment seriously, though they may be under a great deal of stress while going through pregnancies and other related ailments. TB strikes when the body’s immunity is down,” said Dr VS Tolia, Doon Hospital . The National Tuberculosis Programme was started in 1962 to create infrastructure for TB patients but was unable to achieve the desired results. Later, the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) was launched to strengthen the ongoing programme by creating a sub-district supervisory team, known as TB unit, in Dehradun and Almora districts. Later, all districts of the state were covered under the programme. These programmes are run district-wise, with the TB controller at the helm of affairs. Under the Revised Tuberculosis Control Programme, the state is focusing on detection of patients in the early stages. “We have an acute shortage of human resources. This poses a major problem,” Dr AP Mamgai said. Dr Sanjeev, consultant Central New Concept that is also helping the state in communication development strategies, said the need to increase awareness during case detection, case holding and case completion is important in the control of TB. “Now persons with two weeks of persistent cough are asked to seek advice from the doctor for early detection. We have to do as much as possible with limited finances and get maximum results. Early detection of TB in the hills could be a problem that has to be taken care of. The WHO goals based on empowering the individual, community and family,” explained Dr Sanjeev. Health experts point out that TB can be controlled if detection and proper medication is undertaken under the guidance of a doctor. “The directly observed treatment (DOT) is the only strategy that has proved effective in controlling tuberculosis on a mass basis. It is the first line of treatment given to the patients in the early stages. “The only hitch is that patients very often do not take the treatment on a regular basis though the medicines are administered free of cost,” said Dr Tolia. The entire course of DOTS treatment (six to nine months) costs about Rs 2,000. The drugs have to be taken thrice a week. Unfortunately, stigma continues to be an issue that comes in the way of effective treatment and odd working hours prevent patients from visiting the DOTS centre. Several new strategies by way of new campaigns to disseminate information are being worked out. The global prograqmme advocates building community ties that can stop the spread of TB . “Awareness generation is said to have a major role in reducing stigma and, therefore, discrimination. If neighbours in villages remind one another on taking DOTS treatment, the disease can be arrested,” said Dr Sanjeev. Another problem is that poorly treated patients can develop drug resistance and potentially incurable form of TB. It was only recently that the government launched a programme to take on the challenge of MDR-TB and DOTS Plus was the answer. MDR-TB is more difficult and costly to treat. Diagnosing MDR-TB cases is complex and the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) has developed guidelines based on those of the WHO. Tuberculosis Control India, a wing of the Union Ministry of Health that implements the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme, indicates that MDR-TB levels in the country are about 3 per cent in new cases and 12-17 per cent in treatment cases. AS per the DOTS Plus strategy, the diagnosis of MDR-TB is to be made at the intermediate reference laboratories (IRLS) awaiting accreditation to perform culture and drug sensitivity testing (DST).
|
|
Chatwallah lends a helping hand
Dehradun, March 23 To ensure compliance and widen the network of DOT providers, the State Tuberculosis Society is increasingly involving rickshaw-pullers, petty shopkeepers
and porters. The medicine kits are provided to them and they are given information about tuberculosis and how they can they help in ensuring that the patient takes the medicine regularly. Surinder became a DOTS provider after his mother died of TB. “I was moved by the tragedy at home and wanted to help TB patients in whatever manner I could. I meet all kinds of people, as my kiosk is located in the busiest part of the city. “{My ability to observe the food habits of customers helps me in detecting their problems, I guess I can read peoples’ state of health through their preferences for certain spices and sometime lack of it,” he said.“Three youngsters came to me in a disturbed state of mind on different occasions. I immediately told them to get a check up done at Doon Hospital,” he added. And once the patients are diagnosed with TB and the treatment is started, the senior treatment supervisor attached with the State TB Control Society gets in touch with DOTS providers in order to ensure that patients take the medicine regularly. “The three boys were from a poor background, but since the treatment is free of cost I could help them. Now I am actively monitoring the medicines of a female patient,” said Surinder.
|
|
For safe delivery, call 108
Dehradun, March 23 “As I thought of organising my grand-daughter’s naming ceremony, my heart wanted to reach out to all those who facilitated her safe birth in a moving ambulance,’’ said Shree Chand. As his three-month-old grand-daughter cuddles up in his lap, he is reminded of November 20 last year when his pregnant daughter had a chilling brush with death only to be given a second life and a healthy baby by the staff of the state-run 108 ambulance service. “The child was born in the ambulance while shifting my daughter to a hospital,” he recalled. The birth of Chand’s grand-daughter is not an isolated case. A total of 346 babies have been born in ambulances of the service since it was launched on May 15 last year. The long list of beneficiaries of the ambulance service also includes a 25-year-old woman in Simalsari village in Naugoan block who gave birth in the ambulance which had travelled 40 km from its base location. One in every three calls attended by 108 emergency ambulance service in the last 11 months has been related to pregnancy cases. “Between May 15, 2008, and March 15 this year, a total of 12,714 pregnancy-related help was extended,” according to Anoop Nautiyal, COO, Emergency Management and Research Institute, Uttarakhand. The total number of calls received during this period was 12,69,344, he said. In Nainital district, pregnancy emergency help was the most common service offered by the 108 service between May 15 last year and November 15 last year. A total of 247 patients were helped as against 232 cases of assorted emergencies and 186 cases of road traffic accidents, official figures show. A total of 193 pregnancy emergencies were handled by the 108 service in Champawat district during this period. This was the largest category of emergencies as compared to the next higher category of assorted emergencies. In Dehradun, the figure was 715; in Uttarkashi district, the figure was 409; in Pithoragarh district, the figure was 169; in Udham Singh Nagar, it was 262 and in Pauri, it was 256.The emergency ambulance service was launched last year and it has a fleet of 90 vehicles. With the introduction of the service, Uttarakhand became the first state in north India to introduce an ultra-modern free ambulance service which can be contacted by dialling 108. The service has generated employment opportunity
|
|
School students get Met talk
Dehradun, March 23 He stressed on the need for generating awareness and inculcating a spirit of scientific inquiry and reasoning in young minds. He called for pooling of natural resources to educate policy-makers and others on sustainability issues. He said the Indian Meteorological Department today was providing services in almost every sector of economy such as food, security, transport, health and tourism management. In today’s world scenario, weather forecast continued to hold much importance in day-to-day life. Referring to pollution, he said air pollution stood as a big challenge for society. Decreasing air quality due to vehicular pollution and emission of green house gases had a direct bearing on the well-being of society. He said urban growth spurred by population explosion was affecting micro climate which in turn affected human health and eco system. The day saw a large number of schoolchildren visiting the IMD. This was in spite of the fact that many city schools are closed for winter vacations.
|
|
Plenty of fashion brands for children too
Dehradun, March 23 “We have been doing a steady business from past one year in kids clothing. This season we have introduced shirts and t-shirts in knit and weave fabric combination,’ said Pramod, fashion consultant at Benetton. The rugged rubber printed shirts are different and can be teamed up with cargos and jeans. “Boys like cargos in varied patterns. Girls like to wear denim skirts with crystal work and team it up with accessories like transparent umbrellas and glossy belts,” added Pramod. Liliput, the famous brand for kids, is also doing a good business in the city from past two years. The brand specialises in clothes, shoes and other accessories.“We have introduced variety of frocks and tops for girls and shirts, t-shirts and caps for boys. “We have clothes for various other occasions like marriage and parties,” said Praveen, salesman at Liliput. Kids becoming fashion conscious with so much of exposure due to coming up of array of cartoon channels and video games. However, with quality and easy accessibility of everything under one roof has made them affordable. “Today’s kids like to be trendy and they have become inquisitive and takes keen interest with parents while shopping,” said Mukesh Kumar Duseja, owner Catmoss. Catmoss offers variety of bermudas, cargos, dangries and colorful cotton skirts for girls. There is a section of ethnic clothes for marriage and other formal occasions. Designer outfits in blues, reds, silver and golden are apt for formal functions. “Clothes starts at Rs. 300 and go up to Rs 2500 at Catmoss. Parents want to dress their kids in best clothes. They want them to look trendy, different and cute ,“said Mukesh.
|
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Dehradun, March 23
