Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Under the campaign to find active TB cases, health department has started contact tracing of over 3500 cases, found in the year 2022 and taken samples of over 8700 people in the contact of 2000 patients.
Moreover, the department has found 53 new cases of TB with which the total number of TB cases in Indore increased to over 9100. According to district TB officer Dr Shailendra Jain, the survey was started from December 11 and will continue till the end of the month.
“We have reached to over 2000 patients out of 3500 of those found positive in 2022. Of this 2000 patients, we have collected samples of about 8700 people who remain in contact of this people. On testing of these samples, 53 new cases have been found,” Jain said.
He added that the survey is still undergoing and they are yet to reach 1500 more patients. The teams of the health department have been visiting door-to- door to fine new tuberculosis patients under the National TB Eradication Programme. Sputum samples of suspected patients are being taken on the spot and their treatment is being started after confirmation of TB.
The teams are collecting samples of potential patients on the spot, and later another sample of sputum of the same patient are being taken the next morning to be tested at the TB unit.
Currently, there are around 91000 tuberculosis patients across the district who are undergoing treatment at different medical units. "If cough persists in any person for more than two weeks, complains of chest pain and fever, notices weight loss, he/she must get the sputum tested. This test is free of cost in all government hospitals," officials added.
Officials also said the union government has chalked out a plan to eradicate TB by 2025. The activ TB disease search campaign is conducted every three months to detect TB patients who are treated free of cost. A financial assistance of Rs 500 per month is also provided to such patients by directly sending it in their bank accounts for taking nutritious food.
