Ramesh Chand is a TB survivor who hails from Kangra - which was the venue of TB Free India Summit (Dharamshala, Kangra). Ramesh shared how mortally afraid he was when he first got diagnosed with TB a year back (25th April 2016). "I was in doubt if I will ever get cured", "if I did not get cured then where will I go?", "is getting TB the end of my life?", and such thoughts hounded him. He emphasized on the need of quality counselling and social support, which helped him to become resolute for completing the treatment successfully and eventually get cured. Pankaj Kumar Singh, Senior Treatment Supervisor (STS) in Fatehpur, Kangra, played a key role in providing timely and effective counselling and guidance to Ramesh so that he can stand up to fight TB responsibly. Ramesh successfully finished his TB treatment and got cured. "I was a TB patient, now I am a healthy person!" rightly said Ramesh Chand.
Mumbai-based Rhea Lobo, an international award-winning filmmaker and journalist, who also happens to be a TB survivor, shared her own travails when she got diagnosed with TB. "I had to deal with another problem with TB as well: The stigma of TB. Only my close relatives knew that I had TB. They used to tell me that I should not share my TB status with others as what might people think of me and for rest of my life I will be known as a 'TB patient'. This is a major myth in India that people think TB can never go away and it is not curable. People told me that no one is going to marry me. People told me that I will not be able to have kids. Of course, I proved them all wrong. I am no longer known as a TB patient, I am a survivor. I am known as an International award-winning film-maker. I am known as a journalist. And I am known as a mother of two kids."
"She is not going to live"!
TB survivor and patient advocate Deepti Chavan shared how she had to deal with some insensitive and ill-informed healthcare providers. "I was diagnosed with TB when I was 16 years. TB generally takes 6-8 months to get cured but it took me 6 years, 2 surgeries and my left lung was removed. I lived in Mumbai, I had access to best doctors, but each doctor I went to, gave up on me and like a typical Bollywood movie gave me '6 months to live and 1% chance of survival'. One doctor had the audacity to tell my father that 'you guys should not waste your resources and time on her as she is not going to live'. That's when I decided that no matter what doctors say I want the belief of my parents to win that yes their daughter can be cured of TB. I am cured and alive today." And more inspiring is the fact that Deepti is helping others to live, to struggle and win over TB.
Film stars share their concern against TB stigma
Two Bollywood film stars too added their voice to combat TB stigma and raise awareness. Film star Sonu Sood said that "I was not [this much] aware about TB myself. Thanks so much for all the awareness." And senior film star Suniel Shetty said that --For us it was a lesson today on number of people that die per minute in this very country from a disease that can be treated and for which there is a cure. But still TB has whole lot of stigma..."
Look Inside: Do not neglect TB-related self-stigma or shame
When we hear the words: stigma and discrimination, we often refer to external factors that contribute to stigma and discrimination for people with TB and might fail to look inside. "We also need to look at stigma and discrimination keeping the 'self' factor in mind - on how people with TB absorb external stigma and discrimination for instance," said Rahul Kumar Dwivedi, a TB survivor who leads the Vote For Health campaign, Asha Parivar and CNS (Citizen News Service).
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
