Sarita, aged 28, has been battling MDR tuberculosis since the age of 16. In 2018, the Centre introduced a direct benefit transfer scheme for TB patients, providing them with a monthly payment of Rs 500 to meet their nutritional needs. Unfortunately, Sarita only received this support in 2021. Reflecting on the delay, she said, “First, it went into my husband’s account, and then my bank account was linked.”

The payments continued until approximately August of the previous year when she suddenly stopped receiving credit SMS on her phone. She explained, “That was around the same time I had to be admitted to the hospital as my condition worsened,” as she sat at Sewri’s TB hospital, where she is receiving treatment for a year now.