Free treatment to TB, leprosy patients of RDRS continue in Chilmari

FE Team | Published: August 25, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

RANGPUR, Aug 24 (BSS): Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) is providing free medicare service and rehabilitation programme to the people affected by tuberculosis and leprosy in Chilmari Upazila of Kurigram district.
Dozens of hardcore poor, distressed and helpless TB and leprosy patients of the remote char areas of Chilmari are recovering fast and the RDRS, a reputed NGO, is providing all necessary help for their social rehabilitation.
TB and leprosy expert of RDRS Anjuman Ara Helly told the agency that a total of 141 TB and five leprosy patients were detected and brought under the Direct Observe Treatment Short-course (DOTS) method from January to December 2006.
The detected TB patients included 100 male and 41 female. Of them, 92 were found positive, 22 negative and 27 in the EP category. Out of five leprosy patients, three were male and two female.
A total of 37 TB patients, including 28 male and nine female, were detected during the first three months of the current year and of them 28 were found positive and five negative.
One man and a woman leprosy patient were detected during the three-month period from January to March 2006 in the upazila.
All the TB and leprosy patients are now undergoing treatment after completion of their necessary tests and examinations and the process of detecting and bringing the other such patients under treatment continue, Helly said.
A group of expert community health workers of RDRS are engaged in detecting the TB and leprosy patients at the field level from door to door throughout Chilmari upazila.
Members of the DOTS committees at grassroots level are closely monitoring the treatment process and they are ensuring proper intake of medicines timely by the patients.
After completion of their treatment, the recovered patients are being provided with necessary training on different trades, including handlooms, cottage industries, sewing, embroidery, rearing of poultry birds, cows and goats.
The recovered patients are being provided with sewing machines, capitals and other necessary inputs. They are also being provided with cows and goats to help them become self-reliant.
Helly expressed her full confidence that the whole Chilmari Upazila would be free from TB and leprosy by this year as all the efforts are now engaged in achieving the target.