TB hospital staffers become patients themselves
Every year, the number of staffers at the Tuberculosis Hospital, Sewri, themselves becoming afflicted with the dreaded disease has been rising. Last year, a right-to-information (RTI) report revealed that 66 staffers had contracted TB in the last five years, of whom 17 had died, 39 had recovered and 10 were still undergoing treatment.
RTI activist Chetan Kothari said, “It is a matter of grave concern that on an average, 14 doctors and hospital staffers are getting infected with this deadly disease every year.”
The staffers are at most risk of contracting the disease because they are attending to TB patients 24x7. According to officials, this is because the caterer has stopped supplying nutritious food to the canteen for the last two months. A diet which includes eggs, milk, rice preparations and fruit is the best defence from this disease.
In 2013, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had started a nutritional food scheme for the employees. “The scheme was started keeping in mind the health of the employees, as they are in regular contact with patients. TB is an airborne disease and highly contagious. Nutritious foods boost their immune system and protects them from contracting the disease,” said an official.
“As per the BMC’s diet chart, workers are entitled to two omelettes with bread, poha, milk and banana, which was later reduced to one boiled egg, poha and a banana. But for the last two months they are not even this,” the official said.
According to the hospital workers’ union, for the last two months the canteen has been closed and the administration says it is due to the catering contractor’s negligence. The contractor has reportedly refused to pay electricity bills and other dues stipulated in their contract, leading to the impasse. Pradip Narkar, secretary of the Municipal Mazdoor Union (MMU) said that they have had to fight to ensure N95 masks and other equipment for staff, to shield themselves from the disease.
Good intentions gone astray
The BMC has been spending over Rs 91 lakh every year since 2013 to provide nutritious food to workers at one of the biggest TB hospitals in India, the Sewri TB Hospital. The endeavour is aimed at enhancing the immune systems of these workers, who otherwise run the risk of contracting the disease. But the dismal quality of food offered is making workers vulnerable to infection.