Districts have enough supplies of TB drugs to handle lockdown

Ever wondered how over 90,000 Tuberculosis (TB) patients in Karnataka get their medicines in this prolonged period of lockdown? In the run-up to the lockdown, the state dispensed medicines for two months to the TB patients.

But there are those who are taking treatment from private healthcare providers and have said no to the public health system. But 10% of these patients are also taking medicines from the government. The Karnataka Health Promotion Trust, armed with a list of 1,000 TB patients’ contacts from Bengaluru, keeps calling them every day to remind them to take medicines, for their viral load may increase without the medication.

Currently, if a patient has two weeks of cough, a spike in fever in the evening, and some degree of loss of appetite, a test for TB is done. Most of these symptoms are similar to those of Covid-19. Any Covid-19 suspect being tested for novel coronavirus is also being tested for TB. Additional cartridges for GeneXpert machines that are used for testing phlegm samples of TB patients have also been dispatched. 35,000 cartridges of GeneXpert are already available with 65 testing facilities in Karnataka. A top-up of 17,000 was done.

The district drug stores in Karnataka have a surplus of TB drugs now with three and four fixed drug combination (FDC) drugs for the first line of treatment having been dispatched in troves from March 1st till now.

A health department official, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Apart from the existing medicines, we sent a buffer stock to the stores. As far as 3 FDC drugs are concerned, the districts had 80,000 strips. We sent a buffer stock of 82,000 strips. These will go from the district drug stores to respective TB units. From there it will be sent to all PHIs including a primary health center. If any patient walks in for want of TB drugs, they will be given the same.”

As far as 4 FDC drugs are concerned, existing stock included 70,000 strips and additional stock of 50,000 strips was sent.