Divya Sojan

Divya Sojan is a nurse practitioner, a three-time TB survivor, and a firm believer in the healing power of compassion. Her journey is not just one of medical recovery, but of resilience, self-belief, and the critical role that health systems and care providers play in ensuring that no patient walks the path alone.

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In 2011, Divya began working at P.D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre in Mumbai. It was a role she loved deeply. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to help others when they need it,” she says.

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But during a night shift, she felt a sudden, shooting pain in her chest. A chest X-ray revealed fluid around her lungs, and she was soon started on treatment for drug-sensitive TB. Though she experienced nausea and joint pains, her recovery was smooth. She stayed in a hostel at the time, and her friends stepped in to care for her every need. Six months later, she was cured and back on her feet.

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In 2014, Divya left her job to pursue a Master’s in Neuroscience at AIIMS, Delhi. But just when her academic journey had begun to take shape, TB struck again. One day, she experienced a familiar pain in her chest. A CT scan confirmed the worst—TB had returned.

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The second time was harder. The medications and injections left her weak and exhausted. She struggled to finish assignments and barely had the energy to attend classes. But with immense determination, Divya fought through the illness and completed her treatment in eight months.

By 2016, she had joined AIIMS as a nursing officer—a proud milestone after years of study and perseverance. “The future looked bright and rewarding,” she recalls.

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In 2019, with dreams of moving abroad for better opportunities, Divya went in for a routine chest X-ray. Once again, the scan revealed lung abnormalities. Further testing confirmed that she had rifampicin-resistant TB—she now had MDR-TB.

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This time, the diagnosis shook her to the core.

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She began an aggressive treatment regimen: 22 tablets a day, along with painful kanamycin injections. “From day one, life became miserable in every sense,” she says. The side effects and mental strain forced her to take medical leave and return to her parents’ home in Kerala, where she could continue treatment at the local DOTS centre.

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Kerala brought healing, but not without pain. Divya endured sleepless nights, crying spells, and emotional breakdowns. “Neither me nor my family could figure out what was happening to me,” she shares. To add to the burden, her hospital in Delhi sent her a memo stating her extended medical leave had not been sanctioned.

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In this dark phase, it was the warmth and respect shown by the Kerala DOTS team—doctors, nurses, and treatment coordinators—that helped her hold on. “They really touched my life,” she says. Her family, too, stood by her, comforting her through breakdowns and offering constant support.

Divya was finally declared cured of MDR-TB in April 2020. The treatment left behind mild hearing and vision disabilities—but her spirit was intact.

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Now back in uniform and serving patients once more, Divya carries her lived experience into every hospital room she enters. “From my personal experience, I know how it feels to be without hope,” she says. “Today, as a nurse, I can better understand the pain of my patients.”

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Her message is clear and powerful: “We need to fight TB, not the people it infects.”