Haryana Health Minister, Ms. Arti Singh Rao has appealed to people across the state to join the fight against tuberculosis by becoming Nikshay Mitras, urging citizens to actively support the government's mission of making Haryana TB-free. She also called for the widespread adoption of the newly launched TB Mukt Bharat App, describing it as a key digital platform for strengthening community participation in tuberculosis elimination.
Addressing the media here on Thursday, the Health Minister said Haryana has achieved another significant milestone in the nationwide campaign to realise the Prime Minister's vision of a TB-Free India. She said the Health Department has issued comprehensive guidelines to all 22 districts for large-scale adoption of the TB Mukt Bharat App, developed under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP).
The application brings TB patients, Nikshay Mitras, volunteers and health officials together on a single digital platform, making patient support and treatment monitoring more efficient. Ms. Arti Rao said Haryana has recorded 32,643 registrations on the app so far, making it the second-highest ranked state in the country in terms of total registrations.
Of these, 22,266 volunteers have registered to provide nutritional support through food baskets and psychosocial assistance to TB patients, while 1,997 Nikshay Mitras have signed up to adopt patients and extend nutritional as well as diagnostic support. Highlighting the app's features, the Minister said it includes 'Khushi e-Sangini', an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot available in 12 languages.
The chatbot provides information on TB symptoms, government welfare schemes and helps users locate the nearest TB testing centres through GPS-enabled services. She said the application has been designed with a patient-centric approach. TB patients can log in using their Nikshay ID to access their personalised treatment chart.
The app also features a daily medicine reminder system to improve treatment adherence and prevent interruptions in medication, a critical factor in successful TB treatment. The Health Minister said the digital ecosystem has also opened avenues for corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individual citizens to contribute directly to the TB elimination campaign by registering as Nikshay Mitras and supporting patients with nutritional and diagnostic assistance.
Volunteers can physically distribute nutrition kits, while geo-tagged and time-stamped photographs uploaded through the app ensure transparency and accountability in the delivery process. She added that the general public can also use the application to learn about TB symptoms, preventive measures and dispel misconceptions associated with the disease, thereby promoting greater awareness and early detection.
National Health Mission (NHM) Haryana Mission Director, Dr. R.S. Dhillon said frontline healthcare workers, including Senior Treatment Supervisors (STS), Senior TB Laboratory Supervisors (STLS), TB Health Visitors (TBHV) and Community Health Officers (CHOs), have been specially trained to assist patients in downloading the app and activating daily medication reminders on their mobile phones.
Dr. R.S. Dhillon appealed to the public to download the TB Mukt Bharat App from the Google Play Store and participate actively in the campaign by becoming Nikshay Mitras. He urged citizens to remain vigilant about TB symptoms and contribute to the state's efforts to eliminate the disease through community participation, adding that Haryana is determined to remain at the forefront of becoming the country's first TB-free state.