NAWABSHAH, July 26: Tuberculosis cases are rising rapidly in the district owing to non-compliance of treatment despite the government programme of DOTS (Direct Observation Treatment Short) course , according to a survey conducted by this correspondent.

A special DOTS programme was started by the health department in 2003 that concentrated on treatment of patients suffering from tuberculosis under direct observation of doctors.

Some 155 patients were admitted to the People's Medical College Hospital under the programme from July to December 2003, with the figure rising to 254 from January to June this year.

Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Qureshi at the chest out-patient department said that some 25 patients visited the OPD daily with five to seven new cases diagnosed each day. He said that as there was no isolation system in the society, the disease was spreading fast and added that a TB patient should be kept isolated for at least 4-6 weeks which reduced the chances of transmission.

He said that as the medication was potent, the patient felt better in about a month and stopped taking the course, thus abetting transmission of the disease. As there was no chest ward in the hospital, two cubicles in medical unit-III had been set aside for chest patients where only 12 patients could be admitted, he said.

Dr Qureshi demanded that the health adviser should visit the hospital and arrange for a separate chest ward, with at least 36 beds, as the hospital received tuberculosis and other chest patients from all over the province.

Assistant Professor Dr Saleem Faiz of the medical ward said that a DOTS programme was started with five basic points - diagnosis, supervized treatment, drug compliance, statistics and laboratory facilities - but patients usually did not complete the course. They were mostly from rural areas where hygienic conditions were poor, he added.

Dr B. M. Tanwani of an NGO said that chances of transmission increased in overcrowded families and because of poor diet. He said that his organization, which treated 80 patients at a time with doctors' donations, registered 10 new patients against those 10 who finished their course.

The course normally took nine months, but could go on for 18 months in resistant cases, he added. DOTS district coordinator Dr Akram Arain said that eight diagnostic and 56 treatment centres were operating in teaching and taluka hospitals, rural health centres, basic health units and government dispensaries, where 60 doctors, 61 paramedics and 500 lady health workers were available.

He said that a total of 75 patients were registered under the programme in the second quarter of 2003 and, presently, 968 patients were registered, with 418 new cases. Social mobilization was not carried out for want of funds, but medicines were available in ample quantity, he concluded.

EPZs: Five more export processing zones (EPZs) will be set up in the province soon. This was disclosed by Export Processing Zone Authority acting chairman Qazi Mushtaq Ahmad while briefing a meeting here the other day.