Lack of awareness among people is still crippling the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme. Drugs are available free but people are not aware of it. According to the State TB record, about 15 per cent of TB patients drop out after two-three months of medication, and later they turn up at hospitals when the case becomes complicated.
Dr Shashidhar Buggi, director, RGICD and secretary of the Karnataka State Tuberculosis Assoc-iation said: “It’s 130 years since the TB bacillus was discovered, but it continues to be a major health ailment despite being a completely curable disease. In addition, the social stigma attached to the disease is keeping away patients from availing the services ."
Stressing on the preventive aspect, Dr Buggi said: “It is at this stage the doctors can reassure and motivate patients to complete their course of medication, before the case gets too complicated.”