KANGRA, DEC 14 : The government has resolved to defeat TB disease from the country, and has set a target of making the country TB free by 2025, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gurudarshan Gupta said while distributing nutrition food baskets to 16 TB patients adopted today.
CMO said that recently Prime Minister TB-free India campaign has been launched in the country. Efforts are being made to make this campaign a mass movement. Nikshay Mitra Yojana has played an important role by ensuring public participation against TB.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gurudarshan Gupta said that common citizens, public representatives, non-governmental organizations, corporate organizations can play a strong role in the eradication of TB disease.
The government is giving an opportunity to become “Nikshay Mitra”. Individuals or institutions who become Nikshay Mitra under the campaign can maintain true friendship with patients by helping them with nutrition and the whole process of Nikshay Mitra Yojana is based on the wish and consent of the patient.

Dr. RK Sood District T.B. the officer told UNI that 1237 TB patients have given their consent in district Kangra and out of which 650 patients have been linked with Nikshay Mitras.
He appreciated the efforts of Nikshay Mitras and appealed to all to do the same.
Under the Prime Minister’s TB-free India campaign, Nikshay Mitra will try to increase the morale of the patients by giving nutrition to eradicate TB, so that they can complete their medicine course completely and get rid of the disease.

On this occasion, Dr. Sandeep Mahajan, Dr. BK Pahwa, Dr. VK Mahajan, Dr. Ravi Garg, Krishna Aul, Dr. Sangeet Verma, Block Medical Officer Dr. Sanjay Bhardwaj, Senior Medical Officer Dr. Vivek Karol, Akshay Plus Project Officer Praveen Chauhan, Rajeev Malhotra, Dr. Ankush Kapoor, Abhinav Sharma, Rishi Walia were also present.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gurdarshan Gupta told the present participants that cough, fever, weight loss for more than 2 weeks, the problem of swelling in lumps are signs of TB disease. He said that such a person should immediately go to the nearest medical center and get consultation and examination done.

Along with this, he also informed about modern testing facilities which are available free of cost in health institutions. With the help of CB Nat / True Nat machine, not only TB disease is detected in 2 hours, but it is also known whether it is simple TB or worsened TB.
The patient does not have to go far and arrangements have also been made to send test samples from the nearest hospital with the help of ASHA workers, so that the patient can avoid expenses and trouble.
He urged that people having cough for more than 2 weeks should immediately contact the nearest institute.
Dr. Rajesh Sood said that it is often seen that some patients and communities have inferiority complex about TB disease and people see this disease as a stigma.(UNI)