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Nutritional support for TB patients can go a long way

MSF widely known as Doctors Without Borders runs mobile clinics to treat TB patients at several locations in rural Chhattisgarh apart from border areas of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Dr Ramkoti Kovelamudi talks about how along with medicines, nutrition support to TB patients can go a long way in helping reduce the number of patients.

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Dr Ramkoti Kovelamudi
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What kind of healthcare facilities does MSF provide in the rural areas? 

MSF first started as a malnutrition project but we later expanded as there was also the need for primary healthcare. Sometimes we are the only healthcare option available in these remote places. When patients need secondary treatment we move them to our base in Bhadrachalam (Telangana). There we use the existing government and private infrastructures. Malaria and TB are the most chronic illnesses in this area and tend to be life threatening.

How do you ensure TB patients stick to the treatment routine?

We have one or two people in every clinic who are dedicated to the TB programme. They speak to the patients and counsel them. With literacy levels low in the area most of them haven't even heard of TB. Depending on the location of the patient, we either take them to the nearest DOTS centre, or treat them according to the WHO guidelines ourselves.We collect their sputum samples and take them to the nearby labs.

Have patients ever refused to continue treatment due to side effects?

Patients do experience side effects. We give them medication for only a week to ensure that they keep coming back. We provide all our TB patients nutritional support. We give them 1 kg each of two different types of dal every month and a mix of nuts.

What role to private practitioners play in the area?

We need to address malnutrition in the area. Providing nutritional support to the patients can go a long way. Apart from that there is no awareness about TB in tribal areas and awareness programmes will help. Vadde, the faith healers who people first go to can be counselled and be turned into DOTS providers.

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