District Collector A. Mallikarjuna underlined the need for creating awareness among the people on tuberculosis (TB) after flagging off a rally, marking the World TB Day at the Collectorate on Thursday.
The officials of Health and Family Welfare Department and students of nursing colleges participated in the rally.
“It is time we all made a collective effort to eradicate TB. Doctors should create awareness on the disease at the field-level through intensive campaigns. Seminars and meetings should be held in schools and colleges,” said the Collector.
District TB Control Officer N. Vasundhara, medical officers and students also participated in the rally that concluded in a meeting at the Zilla Parishad hall. ZP CEO J. Subhadra presided over the meeting.
Ms. Subhadra said TB disease affects the lungs and it can be life-threatening, if not treated early. Dr. Vasundhara briefed about the symptoms and treatment procedures.
District Medical and Health Officer K. Vijayalakshmi said the TB Eradication Programme was launched in the district in 2003. The results of the TB test could be obtained in one hour.
Visakhapatnam district has five Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test(CBNAAT) centres for rapid diagnosis of TB and 26 RTPCR centres and testing facilities in government and private medical colleges. The RTPCR centres include the eight facilities in the Agency. The advanced TB testing facility (CBNAAT) is available at the Government Chest Hospital and the King George Hospital in the city.
The government is extending ₹500 to TB patients in the plain areas and ₹750 to patients in the Agency areas during the course of treatment to enable them take nutritious diet.
Private doctors who identify TB patients are being given ₹1,000 and those who give information on TB patients are being given ₹500 and those who ensure that patients take the full course of treatment are being given ₹1,000 by the government.
