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Doctors Receiving Inadequate Training in TB Management in Pakistan
Most doctors coming out of the medical schools in Pakistan are
ill-equipped in dealing with tuberculosis (TB). This was stated
by Dr. Majeed Memon, Consultant Chest Physician at Aga Khan University
Hospital. He was speaking at a seminar on the occasion of World
TB Day. Quoting a study conducted by Aga Khan University (AKU) in
2002, he said that over 90% of the fresh medical graduates from
various medical colleges of Pakistan did not know how to write a
correct prescription for a TB patient. He stressed the need for
a medical curriculum on TB in line with the WHO guidelines.
Speaking on the Day's theme 'DOTS cured me - it will cure you too!',
Professor Javaid A. Khan of AKU and General Secretary of Pakistan
Chest Society, said that DOTS (directly observe treatment short
course) is the WHO recommended strategy for the control of tuberculosis.
"In Pakistan less than 10% of TB patients have access to treatment
by DOTS strategy," he added. He urged the government to spread
the DOTS programme to cover all Pakistan in order to control this
rapidly increasing infectious disease in the country.
Dr. Mohd Irfan, Senior Fellow from AKU, stressed the need for using
sputum microscopy in making the diagnosis of pulmonary TB. He said
that there are very few labs in Pakistan which can perform a reliable
sputum microscopy. Majority of the labs in the country lack quality
control. He urged the government to make arrangements for free sputum
microscopy service for all suspected TB patients.
Dr. Sohail Akhter, Associate Professor, Baqai University, said that
if a TB patient does not receive appropriate treatment then in a
year's time he or she would spread the TB germs to 15-20 other individuals.
Providing a cure to a TB patient with appropriate medication is
the only sure way of preventing the spread of TB germs. He called
upon the doctors to consider the body weight of the patient in deciding
the exact dose of TB medicine. Inappropriate dosage of anti-TB medication
is one of the major reasons for the rise in multi-drug resistant
(MDR) cases of TB. This form of TB does not respond to conventional
treatment, and therefore leaves TB as a serious threat to the entire
country.
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