Yogi govt gears up to make gram panchayats of Uttar Pradesh 'TB-free'

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officers to implement 'TB-free India' on a mission mode as the state government is gearing up to make gram panchayats of the state disease free.

According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s office, the initiative will be implemented on the ground soon with the collective effort of the District Tuberculosis Officer and District Panchayat Raj Officer (DPRO). PM Modi had announced this initiative in Varanasi.

Principal Secretary of Health, Partha Sarathi Sen Sharma, has issued specific guidelines to all Chief Medical Officers and District Tuberculosis Officers (DTOs) including the Director General of Health in this regard. These guidelines are in line with Chief Minister Yogi's vision to make gram panchayats tuberculosis-free. In addition, meetings will be held at the DTO and DPRO levels to brainstorm on making the panchayats TB-free.
Employees associated with the campaign from district to block level will be trained. This trained workforce will subsequently educate village leaders within their respective areas. Concurrently, collaboration with the District TB Center will aid in preparing panchayats to attain TB-free status. Efforts to eradicate TB will also be incorporated into the Panchayat Development Plans (PDP).

Dr Deepa Tyagi, the Director General of Health informed that the public is being educated about diverse facets of tuberculosis, encompassing symptoms, prevention strategies, dispelling misconceptions, adherence to treatment, screening procedures, and the range of benefits extended by the Yogi government to TB patients, along with the available treatment resources.

Under this process, the Block Development Officer will send the claims of all eligible gram panchayats aspiring for TB-free status at the block level, along with all essential documents to the District Tuberculosis Officer for validation. Furthermore, the District TB Team will send a list of verified gram panchayats deemed eligible for TB-free Panchayat status to the District Magistrate. As a result, every year on World Tuberculosis Day (March 24), the District Magistrate will issue a TB-free Panchayat certificate with a one-year validity to the gram panchayats meeting the criteria.
Notably, the 'World Tuberculosis Day' is observed on March 24 every year.

In the pursuit of achieving TB-free panchayats, the Health Department officials will collaborate closely with the Panchayat Department.
As per the CMO, in this campaign, various responsibilities have been assigned to several key individuals from the District Tuberculosis Officer, Medical Officer Overseeing Community and Primary Health Centers, Senior Treatment Supervisor (STS), TB Home Visitor (TBHV), Senior TB Lab Supervisor, ANM, and ASHA workers.
ASHA workers will record information regarding TB patients in the ASHA diary, locate individuals with TB within the community, and assist in the investigation process. They will distribute medicines to TB patients and offer guidance on adhering to the treatment, ensuring its successful completion, and providing nutritional recommendations. Additionally, they will facilitate the registration of bank account information, enabling TB patients to receive Rs 500 monthly to support proper nutrition throughout the course of treatment.

At the community level, ANMs will disseminate information about TB using posters. They will educate people about TB symptoms including a persistent cough, fever lasting two weeks, weight loss, and night sweats. ANMs will also screen women exhibiting these symptoms.
Their responsibilities extend to organizing outreach initiatives to assist TB patients and encouraging them to undertake treatment.

The Senior TB Lab Supervisor will collaborate with the Health and Wellness Center and sub-centre team, sharing the list of confirmed positive patients within the gram panchayat. To facilitate sample examination, they will provide necessary transportation support to the District Tuberculosis Officer and Medical Officer.
The senior treatment supervisor and TB home visitor will assume crucial roles within the TB-free panchayat campaign. They will contribute to Active Case Finding (ACF) within the village and panchayat, conduct monthly home visits for TB patients, and aid gram panchayats in gathering essential data for the TB Patients Enrolment Register and Stock Register.