BANGALORE: City-based Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) has diagnosed two patients with TDR TB (Totally Drug Resistant TB) cases. During the surprise visit of Medical Education Minister S A Ramdas to RGCID on Wednesday, it was revealed that, in the absence of coordination between the Health department and the institute, he was not updated about these two cases.
RGICD Director Dr Shashidhar Buggi, who had submitted the detailed report of the TDR cases in Karnatata to the Medical Education Department on Tuesday, said one of the patients was a 56-year-old man from the city and the other is a 31-year-old woman from Dakshina Kannada, who is still undergoing treatment.
However, the minister maintained that he will issue a notice to the State TB officers to trace patients with TDR. The minister found ambiguity between the director of RGCID and officers of the Health Department.
According to the hospital records, there are 56 MDR (Multi Drug Resistance) cases and six EDR (Extreme Drug Resistance) which are currently under observation. “Two cases of TDR are clinically suspected but they have not been confirmed by the Health Department,” he added. The minister said that in 2011, out of the 4,88,000 sputum tests, only 27,311 positive cases turned positive at RGICD.
To address the irregularities and ambiguity, Ramdas maintained that after thorough inspection, a three-member committee is constituted to study the ground realities and submit a detailed report within 15 days to him.
In wake of shortage of manpower, the minister said that walk-in interview was organised on January 12 for 14 posts of both Pulmonary and Cardio-thoracic Departments. The institute has vacant posts for two pulmonologists, four associate professors, two assistant professors in Pulmonology and two associate professors and four assistant professors in Cardio-thoracic department, he noted.
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