Tuberculosis needs all of us to join hands: less will not be enough

Surmaram (name changed), 35-year-old, lives in Kundlawas, a small village 100 kms from Udaipur and 10 kms inside from the main road. Till early 2025, he worked in a mine almost 50 kms from his village. He lived near the mine, and would come home once in 1-2 months. From January 2025 he started having cough and fever, began losing appetite and feeling exhausted. Our team learnt about him in May 2025, when his condition was critical – he could not get up from the bed, had to be carried by someone. This is what he shared:

“I have taken treatment from several places, have been to Palanpur (in Gujarat) and Sirohi (an adjoining district), but nothing has worked. Government hospitals, private doctors, none of the medicines had any effect – the doctors hardly listen to you. My relatives asked me to make offerings of a Hen, later a Goat, I did that too. But nothing seemed to help, and I started thinking my end was near.” He also shared that how the behavior of the community changed on learning of his condition. “People stopped talking, visiting my home or having water or food. In fact, they cut off all social interactions not only with me but also my entire family.”

With encouragement of our team, Surmaram visited AMRIT Clinic Rawach (3 kms from his home), where he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB) and started on treatment. The clinic team counseled him about the disease, the care he needs to take, and the importance of good nutrition. They also provided him with Amrit Aahaar (a food packet to prepare nutritious foods at home). The health workers visited his home and counselled Surmaram’s family how they could care for him and support him. They invited the family to the Health Day where they heard many men and women share how they had fought the disease, and won. Surmaram was beginning to see light at the end of the dark tunnel:

“I had given up all hope. At that challenging time, AMRIT clinic staff were the only one who came forward, offering us the support and care we desperately needed.” Four months into his treatment, Surmaram is a different man – “In a rupee, my improvement is like 75 paisa. I can walk, do all my chores. Am also helping in the field.”

Recovering TB Patients demonstrates exercises while other looks on

Tribal communities in rural south Rajasthan see thousands of men (and also women and children) like Surmaram every year. From Jan – December 2024, 868 new patients of TB were diagnosed across the 6 AMRIT Clinics that Basic Healthcare Services runs. High levels of malnutrition, working in hazardous occupations, fear and stigma related to TB, and poor functioning of public health systems are factors that contribute to a high burden of TB in these areas. There is not only an increased risk of the disease, but also a high risk of recurrence after the patient has recovered, and to other family members for also developing TB.   

The comprehensive treatment and care provided to TB patients at AMRIT Clinics

Basic Healthcare Services is a not-for-profit organization with a Vision of a World where marginalized and vulnerable communities lead a healthy life with dignity. BHS runs primary healthcare clinics (called AMRIT Clinics) in remote rural areas of south Rajasthan that provide preventive, promotive, and curative services, available round the clock. Six such clinics serve a population of 100,000, over 90% of which is tribal.

The team of doctors, nurses and healthcare workers at AMRIT Clinics provides to the patients the needed medicines (anti-TB drugs, multivitamins, cough syrups, other medicines as needed) and food packets to prepare energy- and protein- rich recipes at home. They counsel the patients on preparing nutritious foods, conduct recipe demonstrations, also teach them breathing exercises. Their efforts help bring back hope for good health and a new start to life.

Total treatment cost of one patient is Rs. 10,000. Through our campaign, we aim to raise a sum of Rs. 25,00,000, for treatment of 250 TB patients. Please join us in our mission to provide treatment and care to people with TB and help them get free from this dreaded, yet curable disease. Together, we can bring hope and healing to countless lives. 

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller