TB Awareness drama at Dulsulma village, 28th April, 2004.
Raising awareness of Tuberculosis, its symptoms and its treatment is a vital part of the programme at Nav Jivan. If people do not know what TB is or that it can be cured, they will not come forward for treatment, or may pay unqualified doctors for treatment that will harm them. This is a story of a typical village awareness raising event....
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The preparations started about 2 weeks before with the TB Counsellors going to the village and asking permission to have the programme in the village. Most of the time, the village is happy to host such a programme, as there is hardly any source of local entertainment (no television, as there is no electricity and signal reception is poor even when they have a generator).
The day before the programme, the office is a flurry of activity with the plots for the dramas being made and songs being practised. The day of the programme finally dawns. Mr Amit and Mr Anugraha, two of the cousellors leave early, at 7 AM to do the final preparations. |
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The whole village is already up as the team arrives. Temperatures hover around 40 degree Celsius but this does not deter the crowd from gathering. Since the harvest season is over, most of the menfolk in the village are present. It is about 9 AM when the rest of the team reaches the venue. The area is teeming with people.
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The programme starts with a prayer followed by a song – there is applause. Everyone is eagerly waiting for the dramas. But, to universal disappointment, there is a pre-programme question session. Mr Anugraha asks questions about tuberculosis. How it is spread, how it is caused, who is more susceptible etc. etc. There is zero percent awareness. One of the village headmen, Mr Raja Singh thought that TB was caused by mosquito bite. |
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| At last the drama starts. The story is about Kalu (played by Mr Anugraha) a young man living with his mother. Kalu has had a cough for a month. He also has fever in the evening, loss of weight and loss of appetite. As is the common practice in the village, the witch-doctor is immediately called for. Amit, with his portly nature plays the witch-doctor, and the crowds love him. He does a dance-gig around Kalu with a broom trying to drive out the demon causing the cough. In return, he takes payment in kind – here one bottle of country liquor and one chicken. |
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But now, there is no respite in Kalu’s condition. It worsens. He coughs up blood-tinged sputum.
Ka lu’s mother is concerned now. The next person to whom everyone goes in the village is the local quack. The quacks are unqualified practitioners who derive their knowledge from working as assistants to doctors elsewhere. They have a ‘modern look’ for the village. The quack knows mainly about symptomatic relief. He gives a shot of antibiotic and some cough syrup. He is also well accepted in the village – as payment is easy. He also accepts his charges in kind.
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The high dose of antibiotic and the cough medicine gives some symptomatic relief for a couple of days. But soon, Kalu is sick again. One of the Community Health Volunteers who visits Kalu’s mother knows that something is gravely wrong and fears that Kalu is suffering from tuberculosis.
Kalu’s mother in all desperation takes him to hospital. The doctor (played by Mr Anup) suspects tuberculosis. He obtains a sputum specimen for microscopical examination and it is found to be positive. The TB Counsellor explains to Kalu about the disease and the treatment that he has to take. Kalu’s mother is relieved to know that Kalu’s condition is treatable and that she would not have to spend any money on him. The audience gives a sigh of relief. |
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The scene shifts to a 6 months later. Kalu is absolutely fine. He expresses his gratitude to the doctor. The audience got the point. There is a post-programme analysis. Mr Saju, the director calculates a 60% correct understanding about the disease among the audience. The programme is a success. |
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