Indians urged to ‘adopt’ tuberculosis patients as country steps up nutrition fight against disease

Individuals and organisations that adopt a patient will have to send a monthly food parcel for a year, along with vitamin supplements, and enough money for routine tests.

Tuberculosis patients often come from poor families that cannot afford a healthy diet. Without a high-protein diet of meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and lentils, patients take much longer to recover and are more likely to die.

“A good diet packed with protein is very important for the immunity of TB patients and for their recovery but many of my patients cannot afford high-protein foods as they all tend to be expensive,” said Dr P.N. Singh, a pulmonologist at Holy Family hospital in New Delhi.