After the death of the 24-year-old medical student Dr Samidha Khandare and 19-year-old Shreeram due to tuberculosis (TB), the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (Mard), along with MBBS doctors, observed a “Black Mask Day” on Friday, in Sion, KEM and Nair hospitals to protest against the deaths due to tuberculosis and pressurise the government to pay greater attention to it.
Nearly 7,000 patients die of TB every year in Mumbai .The TB hospital of Sewri alone witnesses 2,000 deaths every year.
According to Dr Santosh Wakchaure, president, Central Mard, “Nearly 2,500 doctors participated in the Black Mask Day. Around 1,500 were resident doctors, whereas 500 were interns and approximately 500 comprised the nursing staff. The protest began at 8 am in Sion, KEM and Nair hospitals, to pressurise the government to pay more attention to the disease.”
Mard members and other doctors from reputed hospitals have taken an initiative to conduct an event on TB to spread awareness and educate people about disease. A few doctors on Friday performed a skit on TB emulating film characters Munnabhai and Circuit, at around 5.30 pm at Nariman Point. “Various other activities will be proposed in the panel discussions,” he added.
The BMC had launched the Mumbai Mission For TB control to save the life of the victims earlier this year.