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In Sewri TB hospital, nearly 200 employees got infected since 1999

Since 1999, nearly 200 employees with the 1,200-bedded TB Hospital in Sewri got infected with the disease, according to medical records accessed by dna. On an average, 12 employees in Sewri TB Hospital get infected every year, of which five die. This means that two of every five infected employees in the hospital die of the disease.

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Since 1999, nearly 200 employees with the 1,200-bedded TB Hospital in Sewri got infected with the disease, according to medical records accessed by dna. On an average, 12 employees in Sewri TB Hospital get infected every year, of which five die. This means that two of every five infected employees in the hospital die of the disease.

The condition of a 48-year-old doctor detected with TB in 2011 is worsening, said fellow doctors in the hospital. "He has developed a gruesome cavity in his lung and his condition is resistant to most medicines. He has been diagnosed with Extensively Drug-Resistant TB," said a senior doctor from the hospital.

The civic body would do well to introspect on the appalling conditions prevailing in its own backyard.

Balaji Amjuri, 38, a permanent employee of the hospital, is suffering from Extensively-Drug-Resistant (XDR-TB). He has been suffering from various stages of TB since the past 12 years. However he has not been given leave for more than three years, because of the BMC's archaic laws. Amjuri had exhausted his three years of sick leave. "The head clerk told me I was not entitled to any more leave. Inspite of being an XDR-TB patient I was compelled to work in the hospital. I have spent more than Rs 3 lakhs on TB treatment since 2000. I have had to continue working to support my family," said a disheartened Amjuri.

Only last year did BMC think of revising its leave policy for Sewri TB Hospital employees. "We have issued instructions to the hospital management that the workers can go on indefinite leave until they get completely cured. But BMC has yet not passed an official notification amending the Municipal Act. The notification is going through procedural delays. I will have to see how far it has progressed," said Sanjay Deshmukh, additional commissioner (health), BMC.

The doctors at Sewri agreed that the situation for workers, as far as leave was concerned, has improved in the last year. "If a worker is infected with MDR-TB or XDR-TB and continues to work in the ward, s/he may pass on the drug resistant strain to patients. Therefore, we ask them to sign the attendance register and then leave for the day on compassionate grounds. However, a policy change has not been reflected in BMC's law," said a senior doctor from the hospital.

Moreover, provision of a measly diet has added to the woes of the worker. In 2012, BMC was going to provide high protein breakfast to its 1000-odd employees including doctors and nurses. Workers complain that the diet has fallen short on both these grounds. "The diet chart clearly mentioned that two eggs and 150 ml milk is to be provided. We don't get more than 50 ml of milk and one boiled egg. This is grossly inadequate. While bananas have been recommended in the charts, we haven't got the fruits since last year. Also, pulses or an occasional serving of upma are not filling," said an employee, requesting anonymity.

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