The Hindu: New Delhi: Wednesday, September 19,
2018.
In the past six years, 798 patients have
absconded from the civic-run TB Hospital in Sewri. The information was received
through a response to an Right To Information (RTI) query by activist Chetan
Kothari.
This year, so far 76 patients have
absconded, which is the lowest in comparison to the previous years. In the past
six years, 2016 marks the highest number of absconded patients at 163. The
response was received by RTI activist Chetan Kothari.
According to the hospital authority, the
number of absconders has reduced by 50 per cent. As per information received,
140 patients absconded in 2013, 153 in 2014, 151 in 2015, 163 in 2016, 115 in
2017, and 76 in this year so far.
Dr Lalitkumar Anande, Medical
Superintendent, Group of TB Hospitals, said, "The cure for TB is a long
drawn process and the patients who leave the treatment midway suffer from
loneliness."
He added, "When close relatives
abandon the patients, they lose any hope of recovery. Counseling also plays a
very important role and a communication gap between doctors and patients could
also be a factor."
If the patient does not turn up for more
than three hours, we report it to the police. The number of patients who took
Discharge Against Medical Advice (DAMA) in the past six years stands at 3,613.
"Most of the patients who take DAMA,
return later to continue treatment. It is usually the relatives who bring the
patients back to the hospital," said Dr Anande.