Bihar: Government committed to eliminating TB in state by 2025, health minister Mangal Pandey

PATNA: State health minister Mangal Pandey said on Tuesday the state was committed to eliminating tuberculosis (TB) by 2025.
Several programmes for curbing this fatal disease were in progress. He said new medical diagnostic equipment were available in hospitals while mobile units were also making rounds to conduct tests for this disease.
Speaking at a public interaction programme, the minister said while there was a target to end TB at the global level by 2030, both the central and the state governments were working with a mission to achieve the target of eliminating TB by 2025.
In Bihar, the health department was also identifying doctors of private health facilities undertaking treatment of TB patients as it would add strength to the mission.
Pandey said more claims for compensation against death due to the Covid 19 were reaching from different districts and all of them were being reviewed by the department.
While there were about 12,500 confirmed Covid deaths in the state, around 2,000 new claims have been received later. He said people have been advised to present such claims supported by documents related to Covid death in their families before the DMs of different districts for review by the health department.
An ex gratia payment of Rs4 lakh each is being provided to the bereaved families of the Covid victims, said the minister.
Pandey also came across a new and serious cases of muscular dystrophy in a child. This problem leads to progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass and thus required immediate medical treatment. He, however, assured the family concerned to provide medical help to the child.
Pandey said though the number of active Covid cases has dropped significantly in the state, it should not be taken as an end of the pandemic and, as such, there was a need to follow the Covid-appropriate behaviour, including using a mask and keeping social distancing. The minister further stated that government was regularly monitoring the development works in the hospitals.