Drug resistant TB centres to open in all dists

BHUBANESWAR:Odisha Government has initiated process to open Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (DRTB) centres at all District Headquarters Hospitals (DHHs) and step up measures in order to achieve the goal of TB-free State by 2025.

Director of Health Service Dr Braja Kishore Brahma said all Chief District Medical Officers (CDMOs) have been asked to open the DRTB centres by July 31 and make necessary arrangements for treatment of both Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) and Extensively Drug-Resistant (XDR) TB patients.

“Districts have been provided `3 lakh each for opening the centres which will have two beds. The CDMOs will also allot specialists to treat the patients, who can return to homes after stabilisation of condition and continue the prescribed drug regimen,” he said at a media interaction organised by Resource Group for Education and Advocacy for Community Health (REACH) here on Thursday.

The State has recorded 515 MDR and 20 XDR TB cases with Ganjam and Bhadrak topping the list with 103 MDR and four XDR cases respectively. While Balasore has registered 38 MDR and three XDR cases, Cuttack reported one XDR and 42 MDR cases. As many as 75,131 TB patients were notified in the State in 2017 and the target has been set to notify around 70,000 patients including 55,000 from private sources this year.

Even as MDR cases have been found from all districts, not a single XDR case has been reported from 20 districts. Bhubaneswar has registered one XDR and 14 MDR cases. 

Additional Director of Health Services (TB) Dr PK Hota said as per the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) work is on to make two blocks from each district TB free every year.
“We have set a target to make 57 blocks TB free this year. The districts have been asked to identify those blocks and work in tandem to fulfil the criteria. The State-level action plan has been prepared while the districts are preparing their micro-plans to achieve the target,” he informed.   

Apart from treatment, the Health Director said, focus is now on notification of TB patients by private hospitals and chemists.Though several private hospitals are treating TB patients, very less among them are notifying it leaving little scope for the health staff to identify the people susceptible to the infection, which is air-borne.“Chemists and private hospitals treating TB patients, who don’t inform health authorities about them, could face jail term or fine up to Rs one lakh or both,” he added.