In line with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of a TB-Mukt Bharat and the objectives of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), the Chief Secretary, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Shri H. Rajesh Prasad, today chaired a high-level review meeting to finalize the Chandigarh Plan for Accelerating TB Elimination in Intensive Mission Mode.
The meeting was attended by Shri Mandip Singh Brar, Secretary Health, Chandigarh Administration, along with the Director Health Services, Director Sports, Director Social Welfare, Director Higher Education, senior officers from the Health Department, Medical Education, Municipal Corporation, Women & Child Development, Education, Labour, Urban Development, Food & Civil Supplies, representatives of major healthcare institutions, and other key stakeholder departments.
During the meeting, Dr. Sadbhavna Pandit, Officiating Director, Health & Family Welfare, Chandigarh Administration, presented the current status of the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan in Chandigarh and highlighted the progress achieved under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme. She also informed that Intensified Integrated Health Camps are being organized across the city to facilitate the early detection and diagnosis of tuberculosis and other diseases among vulnerable populations, thereby enabling timely treatment and contributing significantly towards the goal of a TB-Free Chandigarh.
Reviewing the current epidemiological situation, the Chief Secretary emphasized that tuberculosis elimination requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, with active participation from public and private healthcare providers, community organizations, educational institutions, industries, elected representatives, and citizens.
The meeting focused on preparing a comprehensive roadmap to achieve the goals of the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan by reducing TB incidence and mortality in Chandigarh through intensified case detection and early diagnosis. The Chief Secretary directed that door-to-door mass TB screening be undertaken in all peripheral villages, labour clusters, and other identified high-risk areas.
He further stressed that all vulnerable individuals visiting health facilities across Chandigarh should undergo intensified TB screening. He also directed that universal TB screening be integrated for all OPD and IPD patients in hospitals to ensure the early detection of missing TB cases.
To strengthen implementation at the grassroots level, the Chief Secretary directed that Nodal Officers be designated for every Municipal Ward to oversee TB screening activities and facilitate inter-departmental convergence. He also emphasized the active involvement of Ward Councillors in community mobilization and monitoring of local implementation.
Recognizing the importance of community awareness, the meeting decided to launch an intensive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign involving the Departments of Education, Transport, Social Welfare, Sports, and other stakeholder departments. It was also decided that TB screening of school children above 14 years of age would be undertaken, while My Bharat Volunteers would be actively engaged in awareness generation and community mobilization activities.
A comprehensive strategy was deliberated to intensify case finding, ensure universal access to rapid molecular diagnostics, strengthen engagement with the private sector, enhance treatment adherence through digital technologies and community support, expand preventive therapy among eligible contacts, improve nutritional support for TB patients, and identify TB hotspots through targeted interventions and data-driven surveillance.
The roadmap approved during the meeting envisages:
* Door-to-door active TB screening in high-risk wards, peripheral villages, labour clusters, and other vulnerable areas.
* Universal TB screening of all OPD and IPD patients in hospitals and intensified screening of vulnerable populations attending health facilities.
* Universal Drug Susceptibility Testing and early diagnosis through rapid molecular diagnostics.
* Enhanced contact tracing and Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT) for eligible contacts.
* Strengthening private sector notification, treatment support, and adherence monitoring.
* Extensive IEC and awareness campaigns involving the Departments of Education, Transport, Social Welfare, Sports, local bodies, and community organizations.
* Screening of school children above 14 years of age and active involvement of My Bharat Volunteers in community outreach.
* Designation of Nodal Officers at the Municipal Ward level and active participation of Ward Councillors to oversee screening efforts and facilitate convergence.
* Strengthened nutritional, social, and psychological support for TB patients.
* Monthly performance reviews through a dashboard-based monitoring system and regular inter-departmental review meetings.
The meeting concluded with the approval of the Chandigarh Plan for Accelerating TB Elimination in Intensive Mission Mode, which provides a comprehensive framework for intensified active case finding, early diagnosis, prompt treatment, and coordinated multi-sectoral action to achieve the goal of a TB-Mukt Chandigarh.
The Chief Secretary directed all concerned departments to work in close convergence and ensure the time-bound implementation of the approved roadmap with clearly defined accountability and regular monitoring. He reiterated that the collective objective is to detect all missing TB cases at the earliest, reduce TB-related mortality, and achieve a TB-Mukt Chandigarh through sustained political commitment, administrative leadership, community participation, and evidence-based interventions.
The Health Department has been directed to operationalize the approved roadmap in mission mode and undertake regular reviews to ensure the accelerated reduction of TB incidence and mortality across the Union Territory.