Doctor bares half his face to the razor for TB cause

A CONSULTANT doctor at Warwick Hospital gave himself a comical appearance in the name of a very serious cause.

Dr Dipanker Bose, consultant anaesthetist and consultant intensivist at the Lakin Road site, had his beard removed in systematic chunks throughout an afternoon - leaving him to work with a ‘patchwork’ of facial hair - in exchange for donations towards TB Alert, a charity that supports the awareness and treatment of tuberculosis.

His son Abi joined him under the razor, the cause being particularly important to the two men. Dr Dipanker’s wife Anjali is seriously ill in hospital after being diagnosed with the condition - which could, Dr Dipanker says, have been prevented.

He said: “Anjali has rheumatoid arthritis and needed a stronger dose of immuno-suppressants. One of the risks of taking these drugs is that it triggers tuberculosis.

“A strong effort needs to be made to detect latent TB. In Anjali’s case, that attempt was half-hearted. We could have prevented it.”

Dr Dipanker’s wife, who is also a doctor, will have to undergo treatment for at least another year.

He said: “It’s terrible - she is so depressed. Psychologically she is down.

“I hope she will be able to go back to work but we can’t tell at the moment

“There should be absolutely strict protocols that these strong immuno-suppressant drugs should not be taken without tests taking place.

“TB does not just happen to the poor, the homeless, the malnourished - it is happening to the affluent and well-educated as well. Everybody is at risk.”

He added: “There should be more research into better vaccines. It can be the biggest killer in the whole world.”

Tuberculosis currently kills 1.7 million people each year and is the greatest cause of death among women aged 15 to 44 worldwide.

To sponsor Dr Dipanker and find out more about his campaign, go online.