Punjab launches novel initiative of free X-Ray to diagnose suspected TB patients

Chandigarh, January 2: The novel initiative of free X-Ray to diagnose suspected TB patients in all the government hospitals of Punjab was launched in a bid to eliminate Tuberculosis from the State by 2025.

 

Notably, the government of Punjab under the leadership of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has launched the initiative of free X-Ray to diagnose suspected TB patients in all the public hospitals of the state. Also, the State Government decided to provide the nutritional supplements to the patients of Multi-Drug Resistance (MDR) TB free of cost from the state funds.

The steps are taken with an aim to eliminate Tuberculosis from Punjab by 2025. Health Minister Brahm Mohindra said that instructions in this regard have been issued to all the civil surgeons to ensure free of cost chest X-ray service to the suspected TB patients.

He further said that health department has also decided to provide the nutritional supplements to the patients of Multi-Drug Resistance (MDR) TB free of cost. He said that soon patients of MDR TB would be provided the fortified nutritional supplement. “Also the MDR/XDR patients shall be eligible for getting benefits under the Atta-Dal scheme of Punjab and be issued blue cards by the Government,” he added.

The Health Minister further noted that TB is a contagious disease so in order control the transmission of TB bacteria among the most vulnerable population like Children, Old age citizens, slum-dwellers and diabetic patients.

Earlier, the Punjab Government has initiated the ‘Active Case Finding’ screening programme for earlier detection and treatment of confirmed patients. The primary objective of this program is to identify undiagnosed TB cases in a vulnerable target population.

The Health Minister giving complete details about the number of confirmed TB patients under the Active case finding screening programme, said that in district Sangrur, out of the screened 235929 persons and 1407 persons examined for sputum finally 35 patients were diagnosed with TB. However, ACF activities will also be conducted in rest of districts Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala in a month of March of this year.