BHUBANESWAR:The State Government is all set to open a Centre of Excellence at the TB and Chest Department of SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena.Speaking at an event organised to observe World TB Day here on Saturday, Jena said the work for the state-of-the-art centre, which will be one of the most advanced for TB in the country, is on in full swing.
“We have launched active case finding survey in the State for identification of TB patients and providing required treatment. The survey would be extended to all 314 blocks next year and TB detection camps will be opened in all panchayats,” he said.Urging for coordinated efforts from all stakeholders to move towards the goal ‘End TB in Odisha’, he asserted Government’s commitment to strengthen infrastructure and facilities to fight TB.
Since malnutrition and TB are corelated, the Health Minister said the State Government is planning to provide special nutrition kit to TB patients and their family members.Health officials have been asked to intensify their activities to detect TB cases in urban slums and tribal pockets in the State and provide the patients immediate treatment.
While documentation of TB patients getting treatment in private hospitals and nursing homes has been made mandatory, use of cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) is being promoted in State-run hospitals to detect TB cases among children and HIV infected patients.Even as the State has been fighting against the deadly disease for more than 50 years and implemented the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) since 1997, around 62,000 cases are being detected here every year.
The State has 31 District Tuberculosis Centres (DTCs) and 289 TB units which have so far treated more than seven lakh cases. The diagnosis and treatment of the disease are being provided free on cost, Jena added.Health Secretary Dr Pramod Meherda said Odisha is ahead of national average in TB diagnosis, treatment and cure. But goal of TB elimination by 2025 needs constant focus. Proper surveillance and active case management ensuring complete treatment is most essential to prevent Drug Resistant TB (DRTB) and end TB, he said.World TB Day was observed at Cuttack with various activities for awareness generation. ASHA workers took out a rally.