JAMMU: Secretary Health and Medical Education (H&ME), Bhupinder Kumar, today reviewed the implementation of the National Tuberculosis elimination program in Jammu and Kashmir under ‘Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan’.
Secretary exhorted the officers to give high priority to “Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat” as a duty toward citizens’ welfare making this campaign a mass movement. The National Strategic plan aims towards ending TB in India by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals Target of 2030, and JK UT is committed to achieving the goal by 2025.
The three-pronged strategy of nutrition diagnosis and vocational support has recently been introduced in Nikshay Poshan Abhiyan for providing a platform for donors to provide various forms of support to those undergoing TB treatment.
He stressed the spirit of collective endeavors “Jan Bhaagidari” on war footing as a 360-degree approach towards elimination of TB in J&K. He directed the Divisional Nodal Officers and Program Officers to make consistent efforts in monitoring the TB case notification and treatment besides ensuring real-time reporting and community participation as a key indicator.
Instructions were also issued to loop in elected representatives Cooperatives, NGOs, and other individuals to come forward as donors and register themselves to Nikshay Portal for providing support to the patients undergoing TB treatment. “Involvement of community leaders and citizens has proven to be a big success in managing the Covid-19 pandemic and the same should be replicated towards TB elimination for the enhanced outcome”.
Secretary directed the health officials to create mass awareness through robust IC activities regarding the facility of free treatment of TB at government health institutions.
Among others, the meeting was attended by the Mission Director National Health Mission, Ayushi Sudan, Director Health Services, Jammu and Kashmir, Joint Director Planning (HME), State Programme Managers, NTEP, CMOs, and other officials of Health and Medical Education department.
