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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : October 16, 2013 10:31 AM IST
Another resident doctor working in a civic hospital was detected with tuberculosis this week.
The 26-year-old resident doctors from BYL Nair Hospital's psychiatry department is admitted to the same hospital.
According to sources at the hospital, the resident doctor had cough last week for which he was investigated and tested positive for TB on Saturday. He was put treatment within two days. 'He didn't have any TB symptoms like weight loss. But he is doing good,' said a doctor from his department.
The psychiatry department counsels TB patients and the doctors also visit Sewri TB hospital exposing them to the infectious disease.
With more number of resident doctors and civic hospital staff contracting TB, Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) collaborated with Observer Research Foundation (ORF), health activists, medical professionals in July to spread TB awareness programme across Mumbai. (Read: How India's faring in the battle against TB)
Twenty-five doctors from civic and state-run hospitals in Mumbai have contracted TB, out of which, 15 are from Sion hospital.
While hospital authorities refused to comment on doctors being infected with TB, they said measures were being taken to ensure that the medical staff take prevention steps.
Dr Ramesh Bharmal, dean of BYL Nair Hospital, said: 'In September second week, a third year nursing student was diagnosed with tuberculosis and she is recovering. I don't have information of the latest case but we are taking measures to save our medical staff from the infectious disease.'
A 24-year-old doctor intern died of TB in July this year.
According to statistics available, 7,000 people die of TB in Mumbai every year. The disease has killed 42 employees of TB hospital in Sewri since 2005.
The MARD has been at loggerheads with the administration over poor accommodation facilities given to resident doctors and their long working hours.
MARD has also collaborated with Observer Research Foundation (ORF), health activists and medical professionals and conducted extensive TB awareness programme in July across Mumbai. (Read: How you can prevent tuberculosis)
Past Case
Dr Samidha Khandare, 24, a Sion hospital doctor (in pic) lost her six-month battle to multi-drug resistant on June 30, a day before Doctor's Day. The Akola resident was diagnosed with the disease in January, just a month before the completion of her internship. She had received her MBBS degree at Sion hospital's the ICU in February
MARD said lack of hygiene in campus accommodation, no nutritious food and long working hours led to her contracting the disease.
33 total number of employees of major civic hospitals in Mumbai who have been detected with tuberculosis this year
8 employees of state-run hospitals contracted the infection this year
10 Nair hospital employees are on anti-TB treatment. Three of them are resident doctors.
What is TB?
TB or Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium called mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB most often affects the lungs, but contrary to popular belief, it can affect almost all other organs such as the uterus, fallopian tubes, intestine, kidney, bones, meninges (lining around the brain and spinal cord). It is no wonder that during the early days of this disease it was commonly called 'consumption', because the bacterium would infiltrate almost all parts of the human body. Read ten facts you didn't know about TB.
It mostly affects people whose immunity is compromised. eg: Infants, old people, pregnant women, women who have recently delivered, people living in unsanitary conditions, uncontrolled diabetes patients, cancer patients, HIV positive people. Also, if you are in close contact (living together/working together) with people suffering from TB, you have more risk of developing TB. Alcoholics, people using illegal drugs and narcotics and people who weigh 10% lower than the recommended body weight are also predisposed to develop TB. (Read more: Tuberculosis causes, symptoms and diagnosis)
Can TB be prevented?
Although almost all of us are exposed to TB in our lifetimes, only people with low immunity seem to develop the disease. Hence, maintaining very good immunity and avoiding close contact with people who have active TB help. Read more on how to prevent TB.
Treatment protocol for TB
The treatment for TB takes a long time and involves following the doctor's instructions very carefully. The entire course of drugs needs to be completed even if the patient 'feels' better. Not doing so can lead to relapse and development of drug-resistant forms of TB. The WHO recommended strategy for tuberculosis control is DOTS Directly Observed Treatment, Short-Course.
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With inputs from DNA
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