MARGAO
With Tuberculosis taking centre stage with India setting 2025 as the deadline to make the country TB-free as against the world target of 2030, cases seemed to have come down, but not totally out.
Welcome to Monte Hill, Margao which has been playing host to the Portuguese-era tuberculosis sanatorium, housing patients from across the State over the years. The huge old and dilapidated hospital structure may not have lost much significance with TB now curable right from one’s home. In fact, the number of TB patients have come down drastically over the years, presently pegged at around 20-25, undergoing treatment at the hospital.
The number of patients diagnosed for TB has come down drastically in South Goa, with the district even winning a bronze medal from the Central TB institute for the achievement for reduction of cases by 20 per cent.
Despite the track record, around 800-900 TB patients are being diagnosed in South Goa alone every year in the last couple of years, indicating that while TB cases have come down, the disease is not totally eradicated.
Chest Specialist and officiating Medical Superintendent of TB hospital, Margao Dr Govind Desai said that around 800-900 TB cases are being diagnosed in South Goa every year.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, TB cases dropped to some extent, and it could be because the people did not come out to take the treatment,” he said.
Saying that around 20-25 TB patients are undergoing treatment at the TB hospital atop Monte Hill, Dr Govind said: “These are the patients, who have come for treatment at a late stage. We have to keep in mind that early detection and good diagnosis is the key towards the eradication of TB.”
He added: “Some of these patients undergoing treatment at the Hospital are homeless and come from the slums. Some of these patients have issues with alcohol and liver. We admit them for around six months that they get good diagnosis."
Referring to the new and fresh cases reported for diagnosis every year, Dr Govind informed that both migrant and local population is affected by TB, adding: “In the urban areas, we get patients with migrant background.”
Asserting that TB is curable without the patient being admitted in the hospital, the Medical Superintendent pointed out that early detection and the strict adherence to the six month treatment course are the keys towards the eradication of tuberculosis.
