DC Rajouri Vikas Kundal chairs District Tuberculosis Forum meet

Rajouri : Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Vikas Kundal, today chaired the meeting of District Tuberculosis Forum to review the implementation of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program in the district.

The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme is the Public Health initiative of the Government of India that organizes its anti-Tuberculosis efforts and it functions as a flagship component of the National Health Mission and provides technical and managerial leadership to anti-tuberculosis activities in the country.

During the meeting, a detailed light was thrown on the composition, objectives and working of the TB Forum. The meeting was apprised about the achievements made under the program in the district besides highlighting various kinds of services being provided by the Government to the masses under the National Tuberculosis Elimination programme.

Discussing the achievements under NTEP, it was informed that 18383 sputum and 1811 CBNAAT tests were performed this year as on date, while 484 TB patients are currently receiving treatment.

The meeting was further informed that five villages of the district including Harichuma, Qila Darhal, MC Ward No.13, Goonda and Kangri have been selected for survey under annual sub National certification.

The DC also launched the survey to be carried out in these five villages. The Sub National Certification is an initiative to mark the progress of districts, states and UTs towards the TB free status which was initiated in 2020 to achieve the target of TB free India by 2025.

Speaking at the meeting, the DC said that Tuberculosis is a leading infectious disease that impacts lives, the economy and the future of a nation and the need of the hour was to work in tandem to ensure the effective and successful implementation of NTEP in the district.

He also emphasised the importance of registering all TB patients under the Ni-kshay Mitras scheme, which aims to provide TB patients with three types of support: nutritional, additional diagnostic and vocational.

Officers present in the meeting were Chief Planning Officer, Mohammad Khurshid; Chief Medical Officer, Dr Abdul Hamid Zargar; DTO, Dr Khalid and Block Medical Officers.