PASIGHAT, 1 Apr: The Arunachal Pradesh University’s (APU) outreach cell conducted a comprehensive field visit on Tuesday to assess the progress of its adopted five tuberculosis (TB) patients and three anganwadi centres, revealing encouraging outcomes from the sustained support extended over the past several months.
The visit, led by Assistant Professor Dr Menuka Kadu found that all five TB patients have successfully completed their prescribed course of medication and demonstrated significant improvement in their health and quality of life. The beneficiaries – aged 16, 21, 25, 40, and 52 years, comprising two males and three females -shared during interactions that the nutritional support provided alongside their medical treatment proved instrumental in regaining strength and improving overall wellbeing.
According to an APU release, the visit documented several transformative developments.
One male beneficiary, who was nearly bedridden in January due to severe weakness, has now resumed agricultural work and proudly showed his flourishing maize field to the visiting team, marking a dramatic turnaround in his physical condition, the release said.
In another heartening case, it stated, a female student of Class 8, who had been forced to discontinue her studies due to TB, is now planning to return to school after the summer break and has set her sights on appearing for the board examinations next year.
A third beneficiary – a woman whose health has improved considerably – has begun providing weaving training to local girls from her home, transforming from a patient to a community resource person, the release stated.
“These outcomes underscore an important lesson in public health intervention that medical treatment, when complemented with proper nutrition and regular monitoring of both physical and mental health, can significantly enhance patient recovery and rehabilitation,” the release said.
With the successful recovery of all five adopted patients, the university is now preparing to expand its outreach efforts.
As part of its collaborative engagement with the health department, the APU said, it will approach the District Health Society under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) to request allocation of five new TB patients for similar support.
The outreach team also visited three adopted anganwadi centres, located in Mirbuk, Mongku, and Boying villages. Anganwadi workers and helpers reported that engaging children in the 0-5 age group had previously been challenging due to limited resources.
However, the support provided by the university, including nutritional items such as health drinks, biscuits, dry fruits, pulses, and juices, along with play-based learning materials, including toys, puzzles, colouring books, educational charts, and attractive stationery, has resulted in visible improvements in both attendance and concentration among children.
The provision of weighing machines and water filters has additionally supported better health monitoring and hygiene practices at the centres, creating a more conducive environment for early childhood development.
The field visit provided clear evidence of how timely, holistic support in health, nutrition, and learning resources can create meaningful change at the grassroots level, it said.
“The university’s outreach cell’s approach of combining medical care with nutritional supplementation and psychosocial support appears to have catalysed not just physical recovery but also social and economic reintegration of TB patients,” the release stated.
The outreach cell has indicated that it will continue monitoring the progress of beneficiaries and expand its support to more patients and community centres in the coming months.
