GEKU, 9 Oct: Health Minister Alo Libang and MLA Kanggong Taku have adopted all the TB patients in Upper Siang district.
Against this background, the District Health Society (NTEP) conducted an awareness meeting on TB at the community health centre (CHC) here on Saturday, under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (PMTBMBA).
Speaking on the occasion, Taku said that, “unlike the yesteryears, TB is no more a dreaded disease in presence of effective diagnostic and treatment services, and therefore discriminating and stigmatising TB patients should not happen anymore.”
Expressing concern over youths of his constituency contracting TB, he advised the youths to “adopt healthy practices to remain disease-free,” and requested all stakeholders in the society, particularly PRI members, to work together to eliminate TB from the district before 2025.
ZPC Lumgeng Litin urged the PRI leaders to “focus on people-oriented flagship programmes pertaining to health, education and sanitation, through their respective ZPMs.”
“They should educate the mass about the important ongoing schemes like the CMAAY, the MGNREGA, etc, so that everyone gets the benefits,” he said.
MO Dr Kaling Tato said that the “various health initiatives by the government require active coordination and participation by all stakeholders of the society.
“People have to change their mindset that health issues are solely the responsibility of the health department alone,” he added.
District TB Officer Dr Ahik Miyu apprised the participants of the cause, signs and symptoms of tuberculosis; the high-tech free diagnostic and treatment services available in the district, and various financial incentives, “including the Nikshay Poshan Yojana.”
He expressed gratitude to Libang and Taku for having adopted all the 22 TB patients in their constituencies to provide the patients with nutritional support under the PMTBMBA.
He spoke also about “the upcoming designated microscopy centre for TB diagnosis” at the CHC here, and requested the MLA to have a laboratory technician posted at the CHC.
The minister and the MLA distributed ‘food baskets’ containing milk powder (1 kg), edible oil (500 ml), dal (1 kg,) kiwis (1 kg) and multivitamins containing pyridoxine and Vitamin C to the TB patients currently undergoing treatment. (DIPRO)
