Multidrug resistant TB is an unwelcome friend in our lives.
No, I will rephrase that. It is not a friend. It is a scourge. And it is our friends who have deal with this terrible disease.
Take Balu for example. We looked after him here at the JSK Centre. He seemed to improve. We were able to discharge him for care at home. But he just didn't regain his weight. We did a sputum culture. The dreaded report came.
He is multi-drug resistant. Balu is so upset. He has lost hope. He refuses to cooperate with any further treatment. He refuses to wear a mask. He is angry and at home, a thin dying man being looked after by his wife and mother.
How do we minister to him? What precautions should our staff take? What do we tell his wife? She is very worried about herself.
The tragedy is that we have an NGO partner who are willing to give medication for the multi-drug resistant TB. Free. For the full 2 years of the treatment.
But Balu is too fed up with treatments. We are trying to convince him, but he is unwilling to receive help.
Its hard.
Across town a young woman has MDRTB. Our partners have asked us whether we can admit her. She is 6 months into her treatment for MDRTB and still sputum positive.
Hard. What do we do? Say yes? Refuse? Where else does she have to go.
No answers come easy these days (as if they ever did).
We will pray and move forward. Would that MDRTB be just a memory - instead of a daily reality for us.
No, I will rephrase that. It is not a friend. It is a scourge. And it is our friends who have deal with this terrible disease.
He is multi-drug resistant. Balu is so upset. He has lost hope. He refuses to cooperate with any further treatment. He refuses to wear a mask. He is angry and at home, a thin dying man being looked after by his wife and mother.
How do we minister to him? What precautions should our staff take? What do we tell his wife? She is very worried about herself.
The tragedy is that we have an NGO partner who are willing to give medication for the multi-drug resistant TB. Free. For the full 2 years of the treatment.
But Balu is too fed up with treatments. We are trying to convince him, but he is unwilling to receive help.
Its hard.
Across town a young woman has MDRTB. Our partners have asked us whether we can admit her. She is 6 months into her treatment for MDRTB and still sputum positive.
Hard. What do we do? Say yes? Refuse? Where else does she have to go.
No answers come easy these days (as if they ever did).
We will pray and move forward. Would that MDRTB be just a memory - instead of a daily reality for us.
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