Karnal Health Dept expands Ni-Kshay Mitra Scheme to TB patients’ families

With the aim of making Karnal a TB-free district, the Health Department has decided to expand the Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (PMTBMBA) to cover the family members of tuberculosis patients. So far, only patients themselves were being provided nutritional support, but now their households will also benefit.

Officials said the move would help boost immunity in families while reducing the financial burden of treatment. At present, TB patients receive nutritional support of Rs 6,000 for six months under the Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana through direct benefit transfer. Now, Ni-Kshay Mitras — volunteers and organisations adopting patients — will extend their support to household contacts as well.

“This step will significantly cut down out-of-pocket expenses and further strengthen TB prevention efforts,” an official noted.

Currently, 4,218 TB cases are notified in Karnal, of which 2,765 patients are under treatment. Of them, 2,600 patients have been adopted by 539 Ni-Kshay Mitras. Among the supporters are Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who has personally adopted five patients, the Indian Medical Association Karnal unit, Civil and Deputy Civil Surgeons, Aroma Agrotech, Swadeshi Jagran Manch, and several village sarpanches and panches.

Civil Surgeon Dr Poonam Chaudhary said social participation was vital to fight the disease. “Our aim is to eliminate TB from society, for which all possible efforts are being made. I appeal to people to overcome stigma and get tested if they experience symptoms. TB is a curable disease, and even within 15 days of treatment, patients begin to recover. After adopting patients, we now urge people to extend their support to families as well,” she said.

Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Simmi Kapoor added that the campaign was being widened from TB-free villages to TB-free wards. “We want to connect more people to this movement. All wards will be made TB-free in the coming days, which will help us achieve the larger goal of a TB-free society,” she said.

Highlighting the district’s diagnostic infrastructure, Dr Kapoor said the department currently operates four sputum testing vans, two with X-ray facilities, along with two CBNAAT and two TRUNAAT machines. “All diagnostic and treatment facilities are in place, and with nutritional support now being extended to families, we are confident of achieving better outcomes by breaking the chain of transmission,” she added.