'TB patients need nutritious diet'

Bhaktapur, Apr. 6 (RSS): His Majesty's Government provides anti-tuberculosis medicines to TB patients free of cost. But what they need is a balanced diet at least for next two months after the medication to completely relieve them from the malady.

Gita Rai, 20, a resident Chandranigahpur in Rautahat district has no problem for medicine which she is getting daily from the government free of cost. But, she wants a regular supply of balanced food to eat after starting treatment.

"How can I recover from TB without a square meal a day ? I do not think I will get rid of the malady merely by taking medicines." she laments.

Deepak who has been able to approach Nepal Medical College only after seeking financial assistance from his neighbours, who suggested him to do so, corroborates the same view.

"The medicines will not work effectively in such a feeble health conditions like mine. It is quite better if a balanced diet is provided to me twice a day for the coming two months," he says.

Gita Rai, a mother of three children, weighs just 35 kg. she even cannot walk without the help of others.

Although the government has been distributing anti-TB medicines to TB patients free of cost through its 229 centres and 834 sub-centres, arrangements have not been made yet to provide meals to such patients.

The TB patients coming from far-flung areas of the country and who are financially in a pitiable condition are of the opinion that they should be provided with proper accommodation and nutritious foods for at least two months along with medicines.

So far the government has not yet come up with such an scheme. However, the Britain Nepal Medical Trust which has been working in TB control programme in Nepal for a long time and a non-governmental organisation have been rendering accommodation and food to the patients at Solukhumbu district hospital in Salleri, Phaplu, for at least two months following the start of their medication.

Dr. Dirgha Singh Bam, director of National TB Centre and SAARC TB Centre maintains that in view of a score of death cases due to the non-availability of anti-TB medicines, the government is doing its best to provide the medicines to the district hospitals, health posts and sub-health posts free of cost.

"We are well aware of the fact that TB patients in the remote hilly areas are, indeed, compelled to walk as much as eight hours a day to get their medicines," Dr. Bam said. "The government is working to make the medicines easily available to TB patients in their vicinity as far as possible in a simple and smooth manner."

Dr. Bam is hopeful of providing accommodation and foods to the TB patients coming from the remote and poverty-stricken areas in association with social organisations and non-governmental organisations.

Other Stories

• Pollution increasing in Butwal
• Support for arts is social liability