Himlayan News Service

Kathmandu, February 25:

The National Tuberculosis Centre (NTB) is planning to provide free Directly Observed Treatment Short period (DOTS) Plus service to multi-drugs resistance (MDR) TB patients from five model districts from March 24, which is observed as the World TB Day.

This will be the first time that such a service will be administered in South East Asia. The DOTS-plus service will be provided to patients who have not been cured even after taking the regular dose of TB drugs for over eight months. Three-hundred-fifty such patients will be provided the DOTS-plus service for free in the first phase, courtesy the World Health Organisation.

Acting NTB director Dr Kashikant Jha said that if such patients are not administered to on time, then a dangerous situation will be created in the country as “one out of 10 TB patients is likely to have MDR”. The MDR TB is considered one of the most dangerous diseases, comparable to HIV/AIDS.

Its treatment is very costly with the recovery percentage put at 50-60 per cent. It will take at least two years for such patients to be recover fully. Director general of the Department of Health Services, Dr BD Chataut, said it is relevant to start DOTS plus services along with DOTS for the effective controlling of tuberculosis. He also urged every health worker, social worker and the authorities concerned to join hands to combat TB.