Sivananda Rehabilitation Home - Tuberculosis

The incidence of Tuberculosis has been increasing in India over the past several years as a result of the rapid spread of HIV. 1,000 people die every day due to this disease. To combat this growing problem, in 2004, a TB program was started with the collaboration of the government in the rural and semi-urban areas around both the Rehabilitation Home and the Hospital.

Modern anti-TB treatment can cure virtually all patients. It is, however, very important that treatment be taken for the prescribed duration, which in every case is a minimum of 6 months. Because treatment is of such a long duration and patients feel better after just 1-2 months, and because many TB patients face other problems such as poverty and unemployment, treatment is often interrupted.*

In order for the the program to be effective, SRH provides medication at no cost, as long as patients agree to have the medicines administered directly by clinic personnel.**

For more information visit www.sivanandarehab.org.

 

*TBC India, www.tbcindia.org/RNTCP.asp

**WHO-recommended Directly Observed Treatment, Short Course (DOTS) strategy was launched formally as Revised National TB Control programme in India in 1997. Since then DOTS has been widely advocated and successfully applied.

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