PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Following the district magistrate’s directive, a meeting of the District TB Forum was held on Saturday under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) under the chairmanship of the chief development officer, Abhinav Shah. Instructions were given to work under a concrete plan to make the district TB-free by increasing community participation.
Shah said that the TB-Free India Campaign is an important programme of the Government of India. “Any individual, institution, or organisation can voluntarily become a Nikshay Mitra to provide nutrition, medication and livelihood support to TB patients,” he said and directed the chief medical officer to involve all private hospitals and private institutions in the district in the campaign. A number of individuals were felicitated for their contribution in TB eradication and treatment programmes at the meeting.
He also instructed all departmental officers to adopt at least one TB patient, adding that he himself would adopt a TB patient and provide necessary support.
The district Tuberculosis officer said that patients are given free treatment and nutrition after TB diagnosis. “Under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, patients are given Rs 1000 per month during TB treatment and Rs 5000 on completion of treatment,” he said.
The meeting was informed that against the target of treating 5160 TB patients in Dehradun, 6408 have been treated. Under the TB Free India campaign, 3.86 lakh population in the district has been identified in the vulnerable category. Currently, 1764 Nikshay Mitras have been formed in the district. Out of 401 Panchayats of the district, 184 have been made TB free.
