Fight against TB on war footing: CM

PATNA: The state government will ensure that the fight against tuberculosis is on a war footing and availability of drugs is ensured at all levels, said CM Nitish Kumar. Those undergoing treatment by private doctors will also be provided free medicines if they get registered with district TB officer.

He said if the private doctors wanted to formulate any action plan in coordination with the state government for fighting the disease, the government would extend every possible help. A sustained campaign is needed for fighting TB, on the pattern of one for polio, he said.

Nitish was speaking at an event to mark an innovative initiative for TB control called 'IPAQT', or Initiative for Promoting Affordable and Quality TB Test. Several chest physicians and doctors of the city gathered at the event on Wednesday.

Dr Madhukar Pai, a leading TB diagnostics specialist and professor at McGill University, called upon the doctors to avoid inappropriate tests for diagnosing TB. It is a significant health challenge in India and kills close to 1,000 Indians everyday. IPAQT seeks to make WHO-recommended quality TB tests affordable and widely available in the private sector, which treats close to 60% of India's TB patients

State IMA president Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said the most critical step in TB management was identification of the patient. This problem of correct identification and correct treatment is compounded by the high level of migration among Indian population.

TOI, Patna

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