Now, TB patients to get ration kits at doorstep

In a significant move towards making the district TB free, the district administration has launched an initiative to provide high-protein diets to TB patients and vans carrying ration kits to the residences of patients were flagged off by Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney here on Thursday.

Sawhney said the state government had earlier instructed the Health Department to conduct a door-to-door screening under the TB-free India campaign. She said TB patients are already receiving free medicines, tests, and screening, but the district administration has taken an additional step to provide nutritious food, which is also crucial for recovery of such patients.

“A nutritious diet is essential for TB treatment alongside medication and it was seen that most of the patients were too poor to afford a healthy diet,” said Sawhney, adding that the administration today launched the programme to help TB patients.

The treatment of a TB patient typically lasts six months, and the administration aims to provide free nutritional food to every TB patient for this duration, with the goal of making the district TB-free.

At present, there are nearly 5,000 TB patients in the district and the administration has begun providing free food to 1,700 patients. The Red Cross and The Radha Soami Satsang Beas sect have also pledged to adopt and provide nutritious diets to TB patients.

Civil Surgeon Dr Kirandeep Kaur stated that the Health Department is working tirelessly to make the TB-free India campaign a success. Pamphlets are being distributed to raise awareness about the importance of nutritious food for TB patients, she said.

District TB Officer Dr Vijay Kumar said 11 TB units and 21 microscopy centres are functioning in the district, providing free tests and medicines to patients. A 100-day special campaign has been launched under the TB-Free India campaign, with 60,000 people surveyed so far and treatment initiated for patients showing TB symptoms.