DOTS patients at the Mahavir Hospital:

Rehane Begum
Rehane (seated on the left with her sister) has the rare form of abdominal TB, identified in Primala Hospital - a DOTS provider. It was followed up for 3 months, then water was discovered to have built up in her stomach, so she was referred to Mahavir. There has been no stigma attached to her disease by her family or community which is really good news and a testament to the good awareness work carried out in the area.

Reshma Begum
Reshma (no image) is the eldest of five children and her father is a manual labourer. Her TB was detected when she visited the hospital for nutritional treatment after being diagnosed with anaemia. Her family have undergone intensive eduction about the disease from the DOTS provider in the hospital, and they are now very supportive of Reshma.

Annu Devi
Annu (in the green sari) is had TB last year and relapsed after the first six months course. She is now recieving 8-9 months of further treatment. A widow, she works as a cook to support her two children of 14 and 17 (one of whom is at college). Thankfully her employers are quite understanding and she has not been forced to give her work up, more evidence that the stigma is reducing.