Due to excellent awareness raising/outreach programmes (using puppet plays, dramas, posters and community meetings), the number of patients coming to Nav Jivan Hospital with suspected TB has trebled (from 575 in 01/02, to 1266 in 02/03 to over 1500 in 03/04). This has placed a heavy burden on the hospital’s capacity and infrastructure in terms of diagnosis through laboratory testing, patient treatment counselling and follow-up, recording and documentation. 

The current lab is struggling to cope with the increase in test numbers, and the outpatients waiting areas (see left) are more and more crowded with TB patients coming for follow-up visits and people with suspected TB (who may be infectious).  These patients are in a mixed waiting area with pregnant women, children and elderly people – some of the people most vulnerable to this disease. 

Click here to see plans of the of the current outpatients building (pdf file)

The new facility will be specifically for TB outpatients. It will be of 1000-1200 square feet, with separate facilities for patients who come with suspected TB (who may be infectious). The project will also provide a specialised laboratory for TB, as well as improved protection from infection for staff and patients. Dedicated facilities for individual and group counselling and education will be established, not only giving much more privacy where needed but also helping to ensure the continuation of high treatment completion rates (treatment must be completed to avoid the chance of the disease returning in drug-resistant form). The building will also provide for the more mundane, but no less necessary, office resources for a TB project office, enabling the computerisation of patient records including x-rays, and  creating a considerably enhanced monitoring and reporting system.  This improved administrative system will also permit research and educational opportunities for project staff and other TB projects and programmes.

Above left - A special groundbreaking ceremony is held, hosted by Mr Anugraha Kujur, TB Counsellor. Dr Chering Tenzing, Deputy Medical Superintendent strikes the first ceremonial blows in the ground.  Above right - Mrs Kausalya Devi and Mr Jagmohan, two of the senior DOTS Providers from the project lay the first foundation stone.