The government is incurring huge expenses while treating increasing number of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Besides rich diet, the government spends over Nu.4,00,000 just to treat a patient.
The Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a man-made phenomenon.
The Director General of Public Health, Dr.Dorji Wangchuk, Poor treatment, poor quality of drug and poor adherence leads to development of MDR-TB.
Generally in Bhutan, majority of cases with MRD-TB are because of negligence. The Director General said TB patient needs to complete their treatment so that they don’t become resistant to the drugs.
“But in most cases, after two months or so, one can eat well, gain weight and appetite comes back. One feel as if you are better, your fever gets better. Then people don’t comply, they don’t come back to take medicine.”
Of the 27 TB cases, 23 were detected as MDR-TB in Gidakom hospital. Most of them are students and have been undergoing treatment for past four to five months.
For a normal TB patient, the treatment would last for six months but once detected as MDR-TB, the treatment would go up to 24 months.
Dr.Dorji Wangchuk said for normal TB, the treatment cost is 34 dollars. “But if we put on kanamycin and other multi-drug, it goes to 2,840 dollars per person, which is about Nu.200, 000. Again if we go further treatment and put higher antibiotic, then it will come to about 6000-7000 dollars.”
The Doctor said, it is a serious concern, and the ministry is working towards several measures to avoid such extreme TB cases. The measures are early detection and treatment, tracking down the patient to remind dosage on time and directly observed therapy, among others.
As per the record maintained by the Gidakom hospital, 41 MDR-TB have come up from across the country. Eleven new cases were reported last year alone.
