Vipin Singh Parmar, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Himachal Pradesh government launched TB awareness fortnight with the "TB Mukt Himachal APP" from village Malag, a remote village in Himachal Pradesh.The app is developed by a, E-Tech services Private Ltd, a Gurugram based company. Mukt is a hindi work meaning “Free”
He stated that through this TB Mukt Himachal app, any individual can assess the risk factors associated with TB and can also access details of all TB test facilities such as CBNAAT or DMCs. All contact details of TB test facilities have been provided along with their GPS location. The contact details of all TB state, district, block level officers are also listed. The TB Mukt Himachal app also has an informative section that provides details like about TB, Symptoms of TB, Diagnosis, Management and other information related to Tuberculosis. There is a separate section for volunteers and health professionals to register and join the fight against TB. The TB Mukt Himachal app is in sync with the Digital India initiative of the Government of India and with the vision of our Honorable Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi of ending TB in India by 2025. Dr. Rajesh Sood District Tuberculosis Officer added that the app was conceived by Team Kangra and it is matter of pride that the scheme launch was done here. Anyone can easily download this app free of charge from Google Playstore. Himachal Pradesh is the first state of India to raise awareness about TB disease through such app.
The Hon'ble Health Minister informed the media about the schemes applied by the State Government to end TB disease by 2021. In the year 2018, the Department of Health has diagnosed 16000 new TB cases in the government sector by examining more than 1 million TB potential people through sputum microscopy. HP has one of the highest TB disease testing rates in India. The Health Department tests sputum microscopy of 1400 individuals per million population, while the country has an average of 800 per million populations. Himachal has high screening, so this yields more cases, he stated.The minister further elaborated that Himachal Pradesh Government has launched a state wide intensified campaign to end TB in the state before the target date. Various initiatives have been taken to control and end TB in the state. For TB control, the central government has a national program, but state Health Department has a special plan with the aim to eliminate the disease "Mukhaymantri Kshay Rog Nivaran Yojna". To achieve the target of "T. B. Free Himachal Pradesh 2021", the first step is to make all local self government units- Panchayats TB Free. The Department of Health is sensitizing the Pradhan, up-Pradhan and Gram Panchayat secretaries in each health segment under the TB free Himachal Pradesh Campaign. A special forum is being constituted in 650 potential TB free every gram panchayats.
During the TB Mukt Abhiyan and in the recent year, the TB response has evolved from medical to social movement in the state. “TB forums and Zila Kshay Rog Unmolan Samitis (District TB Elimination Boards) have been constituted. To catalyze this inter-sectoral movement further, the campaign will involve all stakeholders in the TB fortnight from 10-24 March. The time of the campaign is “It’s Time for a world without TB”. The state level function will be held at Palampur on conclusion of the fortnight”, Dr Gurdarshan Gupta Chief Medical Officer Kangra stated.Dr. R.K Baria State Tuberculosis Officer added that providing adequate nutrition support to patients is acknowledged as a key component of India’s ambitious plan to eliminate TB. Under the ambitious Nikshay Poshan Yojna scheme, nutritional support enabler Rs 500 per month is being given to TB patients through Adhaar linked Direct Bank Transfer (DBT).This is unconditional of income status. By way of conditional cash transfer through direct benefit transfers, the scheme is also expected to help meet the out-of-pocket expenses of TB patients and mobilise patients for completion of their treatment. So far around thirteen thousand TB patients have been given a direct benefit of INR 24 million in the state.The Dr. R.K Baria State Tuberculosis Officer, Dr. Gurdarshan Gupta Chief Medical Officer Kangra, Dr Ravinder Kumar from World Health Organization, Dr. Rajesh Sood District Tuberculosis Officer, Mr. Vikas Rajput, Director, E-Tech Services Private Limited Company, Sh. LR Sharma State IEC Officer, Dr Subhash Sharma Block Medical Officer were also present on the occasion.