Screening, community involvement can reduce TB cases: Health dept

Varanasi: The health department organised an awareness meeting on TB and vaccination at Al Mahmood Hospital in Sudamapur, Bajardiha area, under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP) on Saturday.

District tuberculosis officer, Dr Piyush Rai, initiated the programme by discussing tuberculosis and its prevention in detail. He emphasised the importance of tuberculosis screening and community involvement. "We can reduce the number of tuberculosis patients in the district within a certain limit through screening and community involvement," he said, elaborating on the facilities provided by the govt to patients and hospitals.

He explained the need for notification by private hospitals and the TB preventive therapy provided to patients' families. He said that previously, TB preventive treatment lasted for 6 months, but now a 3-month course with one pill per week has started in Varanasi. Patients now receive Rs 1,000 per month instead of Rs 500.

Dr Shahid from UNICEF highlighted the importance of children's vaccination, timely registration of pregnant women at hospitals, four prenatal check-ups, iron and folic acid, Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), and more.

President of the Al Mohammad Committee, Haji Zuber Ahmed, assured active participation in the TB patient search campaign, stating that they will work actively to make the programme successful. Influential community members participated in the seminar at the hospital located in the Muslim-majority area.