Patiala Punjab: “Whatever savings I had are gone. Financially and mentally, I feel completely lost,” says Gopal Pritpal. The 28-year-old lives at the Amar Darshan Colony of Patiala. Gopal is an auto driver who also does labour work, and is the sole earner of his family, which includes his wife and three children.
Gopal did not work for three months after being diagnosed with tuberculosis or TB in October 2024, relying on money sent by his mother-in-law. His body became so weak that he could barely stand. He fell into depression.
In India, TB disproportionately affects low-income families, pushing them deeper into financial hardship. People who rely on daily wages are faced with severe income loss when they are faced with the inability to work for months. Families often resort to borrowing money, selling assets, or cutting down on essentials like food and education. The financial burden extends beyond medical expenses, as debt and malnutrition further weaken patients, making recovery even more challenging.
Gopal shows his first X-ray from October, when he was diagnosed with TB. Photo: Suhail Bhat.
Gopal had a fever and cough for a week in the month of September in 2024. When his condition didn’t improve, he went to the TB hospital in Patiala and was diagnosed in October.
“The moment my wife found out, she left for her parents’ home with the kids for a month. I felt isolated,” he recalls.
In March 2018, the Government of India launched the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, a direct benefit transfer scheme to provide Rs 500 per month as nutritional support to all tuberculosis (TB) patients. Goptal managed to get help from an ASHA worker and registered under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) in the month of November. But he says he hasn’t got any help yet.
“I did not receive any amount from the government. They make claims, but on the ground, nothing is actually true,” says Gopal.
A study on TB patients across four states in India revealed alarmingly high rates of costs, with 30% to 61% facing financial hardship. This was primarily due to delays in diagnosis and income loss from unemployment during prolonged TB treatment, exceeding 20% of their pre-TB annual household income.
Many patients seek better treatment at different places and try to stay away from their families to avoid spreading the virus. This reporter saw several people waiting alone at the Patiala TB hospital grounds.
Sunny Kumar, 32, a resident of a village in Bihar, was working in a cement factory in Himachal Pradesh. “One day, I started coughing and had a fever and body pain. After a few days of blood vomiting, my sister, who had married in Patiala, asked me to come for treatment here at Patiala hospital,” said Sunny. After tests at the TB hospital, he was diagnosed.
“The moment I shared the news with my wife, she cried a lot and kept telling me, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be fine soon,'” Sunny says.
For the past five months, he has been taking medicine and now does small labour jobs at a wedding management company in Patiala. He misses his wife deeply and, with watery eyes, says, “Once I am absolutely fine, I want to meet my family.”
For many TB patients, the inability to work and provide for their families creates a deep sense of helplessness, which often leads to anxiety and depression, says Sakshi Gupta, a psychiatrist at The Healing Clinic in Patiala. She explains that financial distress is one of the biggest challenges TB patients face, as many lose their source of income due to their illness.
Gopal, a 28-year-old auto driver and laborer from Patiala, was diagnosed with TB. His illness forced him out of work for months, leaving him financially and emotionally devastated.(Credits Suhail Bhat)
The economic hardship, combined with the rising cost of treatment, adds another layer of psychological stress, making it difficult for patients to cope. “The financial burden of TB treatment, coupled with job loss, doesn’t just affect a patient’s physical health—it takes a severe toll on their mental well-being, making recovery even more challenging,” Gupta adds.
Separation from his kids was incredibly painful, Gopal remembers. “Life without my wife and kids was unbearable, and every day felt like a year,” he says.
The emotional distress of isolation, loneliness, and the fear of transmitting the disease can lead to heightened feelings of depression and anxiety. Without the emotional support from loved ones, particularly during a time of severe illness, the patient’s mental state can deteriorate further, slowing down their recovery.
Gupta adds, “The absence of their spouses and loved ones makes their struggle more painful, worsening mental health and slowing down the healing process.”
This report was supported by The National TB and Mental Health Media Fellowship by Survivors Against TB. Read earlier reports in this series here and here.