Although no longer the dreaded disease that it once was, there is still a high caseload of tuberculosis in Meghalaya, with 4,000 to 5,000 patients every year.
Today, TB patients received food aid at a programme organised by the office of the District Tuberculosis Officer of East Khasi Hills. A total of 22 beneficiaries were provided with nutritional food and rations.
Speaking to reporters Dr J Kharwanlang, District TB Officer, informed that there are eight donors in East Khasi Hills at present who are providing nutritional support to TB patients every month during their duration of treatment, which varies from six to nine months to over a year in some cases.
These donors cater to 74 patients at the moment.
“We still have a long way to go because in East Khasi Hills we have around 1,300 patients at present who are receiving treatment and we usually have around 4,000-5,000 cases annually in the entire state,” she said.
Meanwhile, today’s programme aimed at sensitising stakeholders about the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme and the newly-launched Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (PMTBMBA).
It also aimed to highlight the new initiative of the central government towards community support for TB patients. It will also enhance the larger impact in sensitising about TB, which is still a disease that causes suffering around the world.
When asked if there are TB patients who are still reluctant to come forward, Dr Kharwanlang said that patients of private doctors sometimes fall through the cracks. She urged private practitioners to register themselves in a designated mobile app so that they can just notify TB patients and not have to go through the lengthy procedures before the department takes over.
She also explained that all those who shared a house with a pulmonary TB patient are provided with TB preventive treatment under existing norms. However, many people who share a house with TB patients are reluctant or refuse outright to undergo treatment.
“We are going to the grassroots where the community plays a part and with the launch of the village health centres we are trying to integrate our TB champions there so that we have a champion in each village to give support to those families that are being affected by TB,” she added.
