COIMBATORE: In a bid to help tuberculosis (TB) patients, the health department in Coimbatore has been offering protein supplements through NGOs in a streamlined manner. Even as this effort is being carried out in other districts, in Coimbatore, the department has continued the issuance without delay, and has now started offering the protein supplement twice a month to encourage speedy recovery of the patients.
The health department, in collaboration with the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), has prioritised nutritional support for TB patients, focusing on high-protein diets to combat malnutrition and improve treatment outcomes. The state TB cell has mobilised volunteers, NGOs and firms to provide monthly nutritional food baskets to patients. While such protein supplements are offered to the patients once a month, in Coimbatore, the officials are seeking support from volunteers to ensure the supplements are given twice a month.
There are 564 patients directly benefiting from this initiative in Coimbatore district. Under the National Health Mission (NHM), the union government provides Rs 1,000 per month to TB patients for nutritional support through the Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) scheme. This financial assistance is directly transferred to the bank accounts of TB patients for the entire duration of their treatment. Additionally, TB patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) below 14 are eligible for enhanced nutritional support and specific dietary supplementation. But in Coimbatore, the health department has been offering the protein supplement without any BMI limitations, officials said.
"Earlier, we used to give protein supplements to patients under our supervision once a month. In 2025, we roped in the Rotary Club of Coimbatore New Town for supplying the supplements for three months, starting June 2025. During counselling, the patients expressed happiness and told us that it helped with their recovery. Since then, we started to offer it twice a month and they get around 400 grams of protein supplement for a month now," said Dr M Sakthivel, Deputy Director, Medical Services (TB).
Officials said they are maintaining a database of the patients and call them fortnightly to get the supplement at their nearest primary health centres. These efforts on enhancing their protein intake have resulted in their weight gain, which is crucial during treatment. It also reflects in the decrease of deaths, as the death rate has fallen significantly following the protein intake," said a senior official who coordinates the works.
In line with this, officials attached to the leprosy eradication programme have taken efforts to follow suit for leprosy patients.