The NiKshay Mitra Project, a project on ‘Food Distribution on Community Support Scheme for TB Patients by Doctors For You’ was launched in East Khasi Hills today.
A function was organised by the Office of District Tuberculosis Officer at Reid Provincial Chest Hospital Hall, Jhalupara here, which was attended by Deputy Commissioner, RM Kurbah as the chief guest.
Doctors For You which is a Non Governmental Organization is adopting 100 TB patients from East Khasi Hills district in which they will provide nutritional support to all of them who have been sponsored by MYLAN Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd, Bangalore.
It may be mentioned that the project was launched by the President of India under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukth Bharat Abhiyan on September 9, 2022. The initiative ensures three pronged support which includes Nutrition, Additional Diagnostic and Vocational Support.
The programme was brought to fill in the critical community elements into India’s fight towards the “Pradhan Mantri TB Mukth Abhiyaan”, aimed to eliminate Tuberculosis in India by 2025. The program provides additional support to TB patients to take advantage of Corporate Social Responsibility opportunities to improve treatment outcomes, enhance community participation and fulfill India’s commitment to TB eradication.
The support provided to the patients under this initiative is in addition to the free diagnostics, free drug and NI-KSHAY Poshan Yojna provided by National Tuberculosis elimination programme to all the patients notified both in public and private sector.
Kurbah in her brief address thanked the Doctors For You for taking the initiative in reaching out to the patients in the district and expressed optimism that the project will have a positive impact in eradicating TB from the society and the country as a whole.
She also urged the patients present in the programme to have regular medication and also to take advantage of the project by maintaining healthy and nutritional food habits which will play a vital part in their recovery process.
Nutritional kits to the patients were also handed to patients at the programme and State Tuberculosis Officer, Dr M Mawrie also presented the Nikshay Mitra Certificate to the Deputy Commissioner.
