A place of Hope for Hari Prasad

Hari Prasad, 57 years old and a police constable by occupation was just six months from retirement when the unexpected happened to him. He started having fever every day with loss of weight and appetite. Within 2 months his health deteriorated. This left all the members of the family worried and anxious. He was then admitted in a private hospital wherein a battery of tests were done to detect the cause. He eventually was found out to be positive for HIV and the testing of his wife showed the same result, shattering the family on this news. The doctor there told him and his family that he had only one month to live. Prasad was told that it was a hopeless situation and that he would not survive much longer. He was discharged from the hospital.  He was vexed with the sickness and the sense of hopelessness. The family still searched for hope and found Nireekshana. On meeting the doctors, his wife burst out into tears in a helpless state and desperation to be made well. The doctors’ team at Nireekshana took a complete medical history and did a thorough clinical examination of him. All the medical test reports were thoroughly checked. His Chest X Ray showed a swelling in the right lung and the doctors here feared it could be a lymph node cancer and clinical examination revealed oral thrush, a fungal infection, and large liver and swollen Lymph glands also in the groin. He was running a high temperature and was in a confused state. He could hardly walk and needed to be lifted and carried. We decided to first focus on improving his general condition. This was done by appropriate nutritional supplementation, symptom based treatment and multi vitamin rich medicines.

A week later the patient was almost in the same state when the decision was taken to do a lymph gland biopsy from the groin, an open biopsy to study the contents of it under microscope. He was suspected of having a co infection with tuberculosis. The suspicion came true; the biopsy report confirmed the Tuberculosis bacteria and was diagnosed to have ‘disseminated Tuberculosis’ co infection with HIV. He then was put on the awesome wonder drug regimen for tuberculosis made available at Nireekshana. 

A compassionate medical intervention, a loving family care and patient adherence to prescribed medicines brought a Spirit of hope in his life and his family. Three months later Prasad climbed up the two flights of stairs to the clinic and walked in with a smile. He now, walks talks and laughs like everyone else, something which was missing in his life for a time. His wife is thankful and joyous, looking at how her husband is improving in health and spirit.

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