The success stories below are just a tip of the iceberg representing the contribution of men, women, doctors, administrators, community workers who have contributed towards the global fight against TB.

The extraordinary commitment and dedication shown by the programme’s large contingent of NGO workers, members of self-help groups and cured patients, who work with the patients to make DOTS services available and accessible even in the most remote corners of India is an extraordinary feat. These are ordinary people who have brought a big difference in their own lives and in the lives of others. Their stories are of success and should be made known to others to work together to fight this deadly disease.

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District Collector in Andhra Pradesh Identifies TB Patient and Guides to Nearest Health Centre

The District Collector of Medak in Andhra Pradesh, on his routine official visit came across Ms. Pandla Manjula, who was not in her good health and was coughing continuously. On enquiring, he found that she had the cough for a long time. The collector was aware of TB symptoms and so he immediately asked her to get a sputum test. The sensitization of the district collector by RNTCP staff and his own commitment to the programme helped in timely detection of TB in Manjula who was initiated on treatment. Ms. Pandla Manjula is eternally thankful to the kind gesture of the District Collector for her magical transformation. She is now planning to join her husband at work.

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Polio Health Worker’s Efforts to Stop TB

It all started a year and a half back when Rajeev Kumar, a Polio Supervisor in Madhepura, during his routine supervisory activity of the Pulse Polio rounds found an old debilitated man, who was sitting in the courtyard and coughing out blood. He found out from the family members that the patient was suffering from a long time. He was even told that the patient would not survive. Once the Polio rounds were over Rajeev took the old man to the DMC and got his sputum examined. He also made sure that the patient completed the treatment. After some time the old man was finally declared cured.

This old man was his first milestone and now Rajeev is an active DOT provider. In the last 18 months, he has ensured that seven of his patients were cured and one completed treatment. Rajeev is one of those health workers who make full use of fi eld visits during Polio Rounds. Rajeev Kumar is an asset to the RNTCP team and his efforts are highly commendable.

Unemployed Youths Joining “The RNTCP DOTS Mission”

Mr. Rahul Jain, a 26 year old unemployed graduate formed a network of 11 DOT providers who, after being imparted modular training have referred 652 suspects, and imparted DOTS to 233 patients till date.

Along with this, he and his team have contributed greatly in the IEC activities like school children rallies, World TB day fl oats, nukkad nataks, social mobilisation camps etc. These efforts have enhanced the popularity of DOTS in Bhagalpur Urban Area. Though the wish for his NGO’s involvement in Scheme 2 was turned down, undeterred he and his team are working under the unsigned scheme with the same zeal. Social development continues to be at the core thinking and action of many motivated (although unemployed) youths-An example of reducing the distance between Govt services and the society, facilitating the bond between giver and taker.

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Shopkeeper’s Contribution to Stop TB

Idrish Abdula Ravda is a DOT provider from Chhaya, a place in Porbandar, Gujarat. He is a shopkeeper and is well known in his area. He likes serving people and has been working as a DOT provider since 2003. He takes out time to provide medicine and has been working as a DOT provider to 98 patients till date. He has successfully cured 40 patients and 38 patients have completed the treatment. Many of the WHO consultants and other officials who have visited his DOT Centre are impressed with his work.

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One Woman’s Mission to Control TB

Ms. Neelam is a dedicated housewife whose husband was suffering from TB and has been cured. This motivated her to support other TB patients to complete their treatment. She started as a DOT provider in 2003. She has achieved success in her endeavour and has cured 354 patients since then. She has personal touch and bonding with her patients and visits them regularly. She is also in close contact with the medical officer in charge and the district TB officer. In cases of complications she refers the patients to them.

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Public Sector Undertaking Collaborates to “Stop TB”

Hindustan Copper Ltd. is one of the oldest copper mines in India and was established in 1924 as Indian Copper Corp Ltd. It was converted to HCL in 1972. It also runs a hospital for its employees and ex-employees. The hospital with 80 beds has a fully functional lab, an operation theatre and an X-Ray unit. Fourteen doctors including four specialists, 21 nurses and 62 paramedical staff work here. The company is also involved in community outreach programmes as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility and conducts regular health camps in the surrounding villages every month. The hospital is in remote area and caters to a large rural population. Keeping this in mind a DMC and DOTS centre has also been started in the hospital since 29th October, 2007. Two doctors, four pharmacists and three lab technicians have been trained in RNTCP at the DTC Jamshedpur. The whole programme is running under the able leadership of the Chief Medical Superintendent, Dr. D.K. Singh, whose enthusiastic response and initiative has made this programme possible in HCL. He was responsible for encouraging his staff to take active part in getting trained and following RNTCP norms.

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Dedication to Social Service

Sixty four year old Chamanlal Mootha K. is an engineering graduate from Suratkal. He used to work as a cloth businessman in Raichur city. He is dedicated to social service and health care and is actively involved in conducting general health check-up and eye camps. He was suffering from tuberculosis and got cured in 2003 by using RNTCP DOTS medicines. This experience totally changed him. He saw it as an opportunity to help the other patients suffering from TB. After getting cured he was a man with a mission. He has devoted himself to DOT services by converting his cloth shop into a full time DOT centre. More than 30 TB patients have been cured in his centre and five patients are on DOT currently. He visits his patients regularly and has retrieved a number of interrupted patients back on treatment by effective counselling. He also provides economical support to the poor and needy patients.

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Village Headman is “Stopping TB”

A village headman Shivanand Singh has taken over the task of spreading awareness about TB and helping his fellow villagers. Jai Singh Marawi lost his left leg 15 years ago due to gangrene. He was affected by TB disease in 2007 which had put a lot of burden on his family. His only solace was his wife who was taking care of him. When the village headman Shivanand Singh came to know about Marawi’s disease he visited the family and comforted them by informing that TB is curable and the treatment is available for free.

He accompanied the patient to the microscopic centre in Dindori and helped in examination and starting treatment. It was found in the check-up that Marawi was in category III TB and needed immediate attention.

Shivanand Singh took the initiative and became a DOT provider for Marawi. He took care of Marawi and ensured DOTS. He also guided him for follow-up sputum examination.

Jai Singh Marawi is a happy man today. He got cured and is living a normal life. He is thankful to DOTS and has himself become a DOT provider and also spreads the awareness about the disease in his village and neighbouring areas.

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A Missionary with a Mission

Sister Marie Lourdes has devoted her life for the cause of the poor and marginalised community for over 45 years. In charge of St. Joseph Seva Sadan, working in Jokalandi area located in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, Orissa, she also runs a health centre for the poor and needy in the state.

She has provided DOTS to more than 30 patients in the area. She also counsels and traces patients who have missed doses. After her day’s work is over she visits her patients and monitors their health. She also conducts awareness programmes in schools and rehabilitation centres to sensitise people about the disease. She has been awarded the best DP prize in the year 2006-07.She was appreciated for her contribution by the DDG (TB) on his visit to her health centre in April 2007.

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Staff Nurse in Amritsar makes Extraordinary Efforts to Stop TB

Smt. Gurmeet Kaur, staff nurse at TB Hospital at Amritsar is running DOT Centre at her home in the slum area Tug Pai Batala Road, Amritsar since 2004. She has already provided DOTS to 185 patients in her area and 15 patients are taking treatment at present. Her DOT Centre has been commended for sincere efforts in curing patients and retrieving default patients. Her work is being appreciated by the print media as well as the local TV channel. Her sons, Harpreet and Jaspreet assist her in running the DOT Centre. She was given appreciation certificate by the Hon’ble Health Minister Ms. Laxmikant Chawla on World TB Day on 24th March, 2007.

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Disability is a Motivation

Cherambadi is a small town situated in Pandalur Taluk of the Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu State bordering the State of Kerala with a population of around 1500, mostly plantation workers. The town has a large number of tuberculosis patients but the nearest health facility to this town is about seven kilometers away. The transport facilities are poor and the nearest DOT centre is quite far away. Most of these patients found it difficult to commute to the facility for their medications. To make DOT more convenient the staff of the DTC were on the look out for a suitable person who would act as a community DOT provider. Thiru Rajarathinam, aged, 39 who runs a tea stall volunteered to act as a DOT Provider and has so far successfully administered DOT to 16 patients over the past fi ve years. At present, he has three patients undergoing medication. The most remarkable aspect is that Thiru Rajarathinam is a physically challenged person who has lost the use of both legs due to poliomyelitis at an early age. But this disability has not stood in the way of his being an asset to the society. When asked the reason for his eagerness to volunteer for provision of DOT, the answer was that his own suffering made him sympathetic to the sufferings of his fellow men.

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I can do Everything for Poor Patients

Krishna Chandra Das runs a tea stall at Bhairab Danga bus stop more at Bankura Sonamukhi main road. He is 45 years of age and resides in a small village named Dhaldanga under Sonamukhi Block, Bankura. The nearest Block Primary Health Centre from his village is about 20 kilometres away and the sub-centre is about five kilometers away. Patients, especially on DOTS faced great difficulties to avail the health facility. Uttam Malakar, STLS attached to Sonamukhi Tuberculosis Unit after his supervisory rounds took rest at Das’s tea stall. Over a cup of tea, Malakar told Das about the TB Programme and sought help for DOTS provision. Das happily accepted the offer and took it as a challenge. In his words, “He can do everything for poor patients”.

He got formal training from STS, STLS and MOTC. Initially, there were some problems like maintaining the treatment cards. But now Das performs his duties excellently without burdening his business. His relationship with his patients is very good and now his small tea stall has become a well known place. People come to him asking about TB and he has become a counselor for them. He also sends Chest Symptomatic to nearest DMC Sonamukhi DMC). He has cured eight TB patients and at present four patients are taking medicines regularly under his care.

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