‘Yes, we can!’ Nurpur ITI pupils vow to end TB menace in Himachal

Nurpur, March 20

The Nurpur health block organised World Tuberculosis (TB) Day – 2024 with the theme ‘Yes We can end TB’ here at the premises of the Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI) on Wednesday.

On this occasion, ITI trainees participated in a rangoli competition and a declamation contest to strengthen the fight against TB.

Sneha, Samaira and Preeti won the first, second and third prize in the rangoli competition, respectively.

In the declamation contest, Ankush, Sneha and Reena bagged the first, second and third prize, respectively. Reena Gupta, senior treatment supervisor (TB) of the Nurpur health block, addressed the gathering and shared information about the symptoms, treatment and prevention of TB. She also briefed the trainees about the role of Nikshay-Mitras in the TB elimination programme of the Government of India.

She said Nikshay-Mitras could be individuals, NGOs, cooperative societies and political parties. “A Mitra can adopt a minimum of one consenting TB patient for treatment for a minimum of a period of six months for any kind of support they want to extend to the patient,” she said.

A team of the Health Department — led by Dr Kiran Prakash from Primary Health Centre, Ladori (Nurpur) — sensitised the trainees about the adult BCG vaccine.

During the event, it was noted that TB infection spreads through coughing and sneezing, and if one hid the disease or did not take timely medical treatment for curing the infection, the life of the patient could be jeopardised.

The health department team also informed the gathering that TB’s clinical tests were conducted free of cost in all government hospitals, and if any patient has trouble breathing or coughing, fever and sputum for over two weeks, he should immediately go to a nearby hospital for a clinical examination.