CHALLENGES IN INITIATION OF TREATMENT OF MULTI DRUG RESISTANT-TB PATIENTS: A HOSPITAL BASED CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY IN JHARKHAND.

BACKGROUND: Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis has become major public health problem and obstacle to effective control of tuberculosis. Over a period of time, there are several landmark achievements including policy and system preparedness for universal access to TB care including mandatory notication of TB cases, development of standard for TB care in India, comprehensive real time TB information management system-NIKSHAY, use of rapid molecular diagnostics, successful innovations in private sector engagement for TB care-Universal access to TB care. Objective was to nd out the challenges in initiation of treatment of Multi Drug Resistant-TB patients get admitted in ITKI Sanatorium Ranchi Jharkhand. METHODS: It was a hospital based cross sectional study carried out from August 2016 to Nov.2018 on Multi drug resistant tuberculosis patients admitted in MDR-TB centre Itki Sanatorium Ranchi after approved from institutional ethics committee. Total study subjects included in study was 64. RESULTS: Most of the study subjects 58 (90.6%) did not know about the MDR-TB. Most of the study subjects 40 (62.5%) had been given reports of CB-NAAT test on same day followed by study subjects 24 (37.5%) on alternate day. No one study subjects 64 (100%) had been given any type of incentive for travelling to pretreatment evaluation centre. In above table, most of the patients 51 (79.7%) had made payment for investigations at district hospital/ SDH level followed by 13 (20.3%) who were free of any expenditure for investigations. Most of the study subjects 60 (93.7%) were not visited by any health staff between nal diagnosis of MDR-TB and initiation of treatment for MDR-TB followed by subjects 4 (6.3%) who were being visited by health staff. Most of the study subjects 48 (75%) were unaware about the NIKSHAY POSHAN SCHEME for MDR-TB patients followed by subjects 16 (25%) who knew about the NIKSHAY POSHAN SCHEME for MDR-TB patients by means of various medium.