As told by Dr. Jhapat Bahadur Thapa, MBBS
She came to our clinic en route to India in search of high-quality medical care. Twenty-five years old, she had suffered from a cough and difficulty breathing for two months. She had received no treatment other than a haphazard mixture of antibiotics and cough tablets. When she arrived at the district hospital (five hours from our clinic by foot or bus), she was told that the doctor was not there and that she should go to India. Like all people leaving Achham, she had to pass through Sanfe Bagar on her way.
Upon entering the Nyaya Health Clinic, the patient was received by Udayji, our health assistant. After seeing the severity of her condition, Udayji triaged the patient to Dr. Thapa. Dr. Thapa examined her and
determined that she had fluid in her lungs. He then performed thoracentesis and sent the specimen to Santoshji, our lab technician. Dr. Thapa noted that the chemical profile of the fluid, the high prevalence of tuberculosis in Achham, and her symptoms made tuberculosis the most likely diagnosis.
Dr. Thapa prescribed anti-tuberculosis medications, which are provided by the government to our clinic. He noted that follow-up is critical but challenging in our area. “The only way to prevent the spread of tuberculosis and decrease transmission is to treat people with tuberculosis. With Nyaya Health’s community
health worker program, which both identifies suspected cases in the community and provides treatment in patient’s homes, this job will be done more effectively.”
Urmila Sister Placing an Intravenous LIne in a Pulmonary Patient