More than just a medicine: When hospitality becomes the key to the recovery of TB patients in South Sulawesi

JAKARTA - Have you ever seen someone coughing in a public place and then spontaneously walking away with an uncomfortable expression? For most of us, it may just be a self-protective reflex. But for a tuberculosis (TB) fighter, this small reaction can feel like a wound that is more painful than the disease itself.

The South Sulawesi Provincial Health Office (Dinkes) is aware that the biggest enemy in the current control of TB is not just germs, but social stigma. The fear of being ostracized is often a big wall that prevents patients from daring to check themselves or admit their condition.

The Power of Language in Recovery

Head of the Prevention and Disease Control (P3) of the South Sulawesi Provincial Health Office, Moh Yusri Yunus, highlighted how important it is to change the way we communicate. Stigma often sneaks in through a condescending statement or a condescending body posture when seeing someone with a cold or cough.

"They tend to ask sufferers to get rid of words that are uncomfortable to hear. In fact, there are much more subtle ways, for example by offering or asking sufferers to use masks with polite speech tones," said Yusri as quoted by ANTARA.

By changing the way we talk, we are actually opening the door for patients to feel accepted and supported in their treatment process.

Collaboration from the Media to the Religious Platform

Aware that the stigma cannot be eliminated overnight, the South Sulawesi Health Office launched a strategy that touched various layers of society:

Grass Roots Movement: Integrated teams from the district level to Puskesmas are deployed to carry out direct socialization and optimize educational content on social media.

Positive narrative in the media: Partnering with mass media to not only highlight the shortcomings of services, but also highlight innovations and success stories of recovery as inspiration.

Religious Touch: Ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, the South Sulawesi Health Office worked with the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) to insert messages of healthy living and love for others in tausiah and religious sermons.

Breaking the Chain of Transmission with Love

Efforts to eliminate this stigma are not only about manners, but about a vital public health strategy. When stigma is gone, fear fades. Patients will no longer hide; they will come to health facilities with their heads held high, undergo treatment to the end, and automatically break the chain of transmission in the community.

South Sulawesi is now moving towards a future where TB is no longer a shame to be covered, but rather a health challenge that can be faced together with support, masks, and sincere smiles.