43 TB patients identified during ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ drive in J&K
With an aim to achieve the targets and goals as per National Strategic Plan for elimination of Tuberculosis from the Union Territory by or before 2025, Jammu and Kashmir Administration has expedited the drive to identify the patients suffering from the diseases at the earliest and put them on effective treatment for their early recovery.
However, an official in the State Tuberculosis Office (STO) said that during an aggressive campaign launched in the Jammu Division, 43 people were found positive for tuberculosis and they were immediately put on Anti-Tuberculosis treatment.
“During an extensive drive launched to identify new cases under ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign across the Union Territory, the Jammu based State Tuberculosis Office conducted an extensive drive to identify new TB cases,” said an official.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in November last year reviewed the status of National TB elimination program in J&K and observed that while there is a National Strategic Plan to assist States and Union Territories, the districts also need to focus on far-flung areas to completely eliminate TB before the 2025 deadline.
Stating that the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme was launched in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on December 6, 2021 to detect and identify the missing Tuberculosis cases, the official said, “in the Jammu division, 339 health teams have been constituted under the supervision of the State Tuberculosis Officer for carrying out extensive drives under this campaign.”
“With the effort of the constituted teams, nearly 20,07,052 population was screened and 10,860 samples collected from presumptive symptomatic patients till January 4, 2022,” they said.
“Out of the total samples collected, 43 were found to be positive for Tuberculosis and initiated on Anti Tuberculosis treatment,” he disclosed.
“The officials were directed to work diligently and achieve all the targets and goals as per NSP 2017-2025 for elimination of Tuberculosis from the Union Territory by or before Year 2025,” he said and adding that the officials associated with the TB Control Programme, launched a massive door to door awareness campaign among people and health care professionals by involving Panchayats, Youth Clubs and schools regarding Tuberculosis in collaboration with the ongoing ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign carried for COVID vaccination and distribution of Ayushman Bharat Golden Card.
However, Detect–Treat–Prevent–Build directions issued from the chair of the Lieutenant Governor, was a proven successful strategy with the involvement of the respective Deputy Commissioners for convergence of various health-related public outreach campaigns to address TB and drug menace.
“As directed to organize Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities on the symptoms of tuberculosis, people were motivated to get a confirmatory test for TB for early detection and timely treatment to reduce the TB mortality rate,” said an official adding that the financial assistance allocation for TB patients was also directed should reach their bank accounts through DBT and the officials were also instructed to ensure adequate nutrition for all TB patients through Nikshay Poshan Yojna (NPY).
Budgam district in Kashmir has already achieved the status of TB free district, while Udhampur has received Bronze Medal under Sub-National Certification Claim in 2020, awarded on World TB Day in 2021.
