Education Minister launches 100-day campaign against TB in Shimla

Education Minister Rohit Thakur here today launched a district-level 100-day Nikshay Camp campaign under the “TB Mukt Bharat” initiative in Shimla district and said there was no need to fear tuberculosis (TB), but rather, there was a need for vigilance and understanding.

Thakur, who served as the chief guest on the occasion, said the disease was treatable and due to the efforts of the Health Department people could overcome the disease and were, now, leading new lives. He added that though there had been a significant reduction in the TB cases over time, the disease had not yet been eradicated entirely.

The minister also urged the people to raise awareness about the campaign. “If public representatives act as Nikshay Mitra, the programme’s impact will be more significant,” he added.

He also assured that the issue of providing a portable X-ray machine for the district would be raised with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil. The minister congratulated the TB-free panchayats for their excellent work and urged other areas to fall in their footsteps.

During the event, ADM (Protocol) Jyoti Rana encouraged people to remain vigilant against TB and to seek medical treatment if symptoms arise. She also emphasised the importance of supporting and motivating TB patients rather than distancing themselves.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Rakesh Pratap said this campaign would target areas with a high prevalence of TB. “Following identification, patients will receive treatment and mobile Nikshay vehicles will be deployed across the district for check-ups and awareness campaigns,” he said.

District TB Officer Vineet Lakhanpal said, “There are 1.6 crore TB patients globally, out of which 28.2 lakh patients are in India, including 15,916 patients in Himachal Pradesh.”

“Shimla alone has 1,723 TB patients,” he added. He said last year, around 11 lakh people died due to TB across the globe, including 3.3 lakh in India and 904 in Himachal, with 110 deaths in Shimla.

Thakur also honoured five TB Champions for their efforts in raising awareness and fighting the disease. The recipients were Nirmala Devi, Saurav Ratn, Dimple, Nisha, and Deepika. The recipients also shared their personal experiences at the event. Additionally, chemists Kapil Sharma and Mahesh Bisht, as well as Lion’s Club Shimla members, were recognised for their contributions to providing food baskets to the TB patients.

The minister also recognised 133 gram panchayats that have been declared TB-free in 2023. These panchayats were awarded mementos and certificates for their efforts. The honoured panchayats belong to various health blocks, including Sunni, Tikkar, Matiana, Rampur, Nankhadi, Kumarsain, Jubbal-Kotkhai, Chirgaon, Mashobra, Nerwa etc.