99 DOTS provided to TB patients in Tiruvallur under pilot programme

Dr S Kumar, Nodal Officer, Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) Tuberculosis, said, “When the patient opens the medicine packet, there will be a phone number within the packet. The patient will be expected to give a missed call every third or fifth day failing which, the officials will contact the patient to find out if the medication is being taken correctly.”

Aiming to provide low-cost medicines that can be easily accessible by all patients, the 99 DOTS will monitor the treatment and progress of the patients. “The medication is packed with secondary envelopes which will add dosage instruction and a series of hidden numbers behind the pills,” he said.

Explaining the concept, a health official said, “Patients have to give a missed call each time they take the medication and the providers will be monitoring the same. Most patients have access to a mobile phone and can make a call, so 99 DOTS reaches the maximum number of users. This will allow the providers to focus on their time and give additional attention to those patients who need help and counselling. In case if the patient forgets their medication, we will be sending them daily reminders and also provide them with custom-tailored medical advice if needed.”

The adherence will be recorded.

“It will show green if they are taking the medication correctly, yellow if incorrect and red if they have missed their medication. While the programme is proving to be a success, plans are still on to expand it to other districts,” he added.