Srinagar, July 8: Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the implementation of the PradhanMantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.Chief Secretary AtalDulloo, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor Dr Mandeep K. Bhandari, Secretary Health and Medical Education Dr Syed AbidRasheed Shah, NHM Mission Director BaseerUlHaqChaudhary, Deputy Commissioners, and senior health officials attended the meeting.The Lieutenant Governor assessed the strategies and actionable plans aimed at accelerating TB case detection, improving treatment outcomes, addressing implementation challenges, and ensuring effective inter-departmental coordination in line with the national target of eliminating tuberculosis.
“TB Mukt Jammu Kashmir should be our shared mission,” the Lt Governor said, underlining the need for collaborative and sustained efforts.He stressed on expanding public awareness through various media platforms and directed the Health Department to ensure that field workers actively monitor patients, ensure adherence to medication, and prevent drug resistance. He emphasized the use of IEC tools such as daily SMS alerts and follow-up calls to reinforce compliance among patients.
Highlighting the importance of diagnostics, the Lt Governor instructed officials to ensure the availability of advanced testing machines like CBNAAT and TrueNat across all districts.“This will significantly boost screening and early detection, helping us achieve the goal of TB Mukt J&K and ultimately TB Mukt Bharat,” he said.Deputy Commissioners were directed to intensify Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns by engaging religious leaders, healthcare professionals, sportspersons, SHGs, and civil society to combat the stigma around TB.He also called for mapping of vulnerable populations for priority testing, improving diagnostic facilities, promoting early detection, and encouraging citizens to register as Ni-KshayMitras to support TB patients.The meeting also reviewed J&K’s performance under the National TB Elimination Programme, progress made under the TB MuktPanchayat Initiative, status of Ayushman Bharat Golden Card saturation, and procurement of diagnostic and treatment equipment.Dr Syed AbidRasheed Shah gave a detailed presentation on district-wise treatment outcomes, presumptive TB testing data, and strategic interventions being implemented across the Union Territory.