BANGALORE: Following the reports of deaths of some patients from Totally Drug Resistant Tuberculosis, (TDR TB) which is far more dangerous than Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) and Extreme Drug Resistant (XDR) forms in Mumbai, experts say that improper treatment regimens followed by private practitioners and non-compliance to the whole course of proper treatment makes tuberculosis patient vulnerable to this deadly infection.
According to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD), which is a government-run institute specializing in treating tuberculosis, there were no cases of TDR in the State. A total number of 450 MDR cases were treated since 2005, of which only 219 patients could complete the treatment. The institute had also detected two patients with XDR inthe year 2010-11.
Speaking to Express, Dr Shashidhar Buggi, director, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) said, “Had these patients not completed the treatment, it could have infected several others. The MDR treatment is long and costly. However at RGICD, we are providing free treatment to such patients with the help of the state government.”
He also maintained that for MDR patients, thoracic surgery is important but there is a shortage of surgeons in our country.
Dr VM Katoch, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that private practitioners do no follow the proper course of treatment. Sometimes, patients visit mulitiple doctors which leads to non compliance of the treatment.