Now Reading: TB patients in Andhra await Nikshay funds as malnutrition worsens illness
-
01
TB patients in Andhra await Nikshay funds as malnutrition worsens illness
TB patients in Andhra await Nikshay funds as malnutrition worsens illness
Sandhya, a tribal woman in her 40s from Alluri Sitharama Raju district, stopped taking her TB medication after two months due to severe stomach pain and lack of nutrition. She now suffers…
The Story in Brief
Sandhya, a tribal woman in her 40s from Alluri Sitharama Raju district, stopped taking her TB medication after two months due to severe stomach pain and lack of nutrition. She now suffers from fever and body aches, and doctors warn she may develop multidrug-resistant TB if she does not resume treatment. Her family survives on her daughter's daily wage of Rs 100-150, making the 10-km journey to the nearest Primary Health Centre impossible.
The Union government's Nikshay Poshan Yojana promises Rs 1,000 per month to TB patients, but The Hindu reports that many patients in Andhra Pradesh have not received this aid. Experts say undernutrition increases the risk of death from TB by four to five times, and Sandhya's Body Mass Index likely falls below the critical threshold of 18.5.
The Indian Opinion
The Nikshay Poshan Yojana was raised to Rs 1,000 a month in 2024, yet Sandhya's story shows the money is not reaching those who need it most. The disconnect between a well-intentioned scheme and its execution in a remote tribal hamlet is the real story here. Both the Union and state governments must answer: how many of the 37,130 TB patients notified in Andhra Pradesh have actually received their monthly payments, and what is the average delay?
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
