Koderma, April 2: Tuberculosis is a major occupational hazard among miners and crusher workers of the district. But the tuberculosis centre here is yet to start the directly observed therapy- short course (DOTS) and even the laboratory and X- ray machines are not working due to lack of medicines and defunct machines.

“The DOTS which falls under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) of the Union ministry of health is yet to start in the district. Patients are treated with the age-old Isoniazid and Ethambutol. Another vital medicine Streptomycin is not available at the Centre. Under DOTS two more drugs are prescribed — Pyrigenamide and Refampicil, ”said district tuberculosis officer Krishna Prasad.

The TB ward, which has 10 beds, had no occupants since the last 3 years, despite the growing number of lung disease cases in the district. Prasad told The Telegraph: “In 2002, 451 cases of TB were detected by the centre and they are being treated. On an average, outdoor occupancy is 15 per day. But we are yet to begin DOTS. Ranchi, Palamau, Hazaribagh, and Deoghar are the only district where the DOTS is used for treatment of the disease. There might be thousands of undetected cases and many are undergoing treatment in private clinics and welfare department hospitals. There is a TB sanatorium with 50 beds at Karma which is owned by the Union ministry of labour.”

Shortage of staff is another problem that plaques the centre. Against the sanctioned posts of 28, the centre has only 11 staff members. “The centre has only one health worker, whereas it requires at least four to cover the entire district and generate awareness on TB among the villagers,” an employee of the centre said, adding “even Prasad, who is an eye specialist, is working as a TB officer”.

The employees of the centre are not getting their salaries for the past six months. The centre does not have its own ambulance, yet every month it gets its allotment of diesel.