In line with the efforts to make the country tuberculosis (TB) free by the year 2025, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is working on accelerating the scope of TB screening and testing.

Additionally, the government is making efforts to expedite the distribution of Rs 500 per month into bank accounts of TB patients under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana. This effort aims to ensure adequate nutrition during both the early and ongoing stages of TB treatment. For this purpose, the Yogi government is running a special campaign to increase notification of TB patients in the private sector.

With the aim of expanding the scope of tuberculosis screening and testing, Nikshay Diwas has been held at the health centres on the 15th of every month since December last year. Through this initiative, 8,406 TB patients were identified and treatment was initiated over the past 10 months.

Health and Wellness Centres have also made arrangements for screening and sample collection, enabling the quick identification of TB patients for prompt treatment.

In a significant development, under the guidance of Principal Secretary (Health) Parth Sarathi Sen Sharma, Joint Director (TB)/State TB Programme Officer Dr Shailendra Bhatnagar has written a letter to all district TB officers, directing them to use TrueNat machines established at health centres by the 15th Finance Commission for the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme. This move is expected to expedite TB testing.

Additionally, while mapping TrueNat machines, instructions have also been given to train lab technicians through the Senior Laboratory Technical Supervisor technicians (STLS) programme. Monthly reports on the utility of TrueNat machines are also required to be sent at the state level.

A week-long special campaign is being run in the state from December 7 to 14 in order to increase the notification of TB patients in the private sector. This year, the state has set a target of approximately 2.24 lakh notifications from the private sector, of which 88 per cent has already been achieved. The campaign is being run to meet this target within the specified timeframe.

In this regard, Director General, Medical and Health Services, Dr Deepa Tyagi, has directed all the chief medical officers and district tuberculosis officers of the state to increase the notification and also ensure to notify the missed patients on the Nikshay portal.

Dr Tyagi directed the chief medical officers on December 5 to promptly disburse the payment of Rs 500, provided under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, to tuberculosis patients for nutrition. She emphasised on ensuring the payment of the first installment of Rs 1,000 to TB patients by December 15. Notably, the first installment is to be sent to the accounts of about 1.47 lakh TB patients.

Dr Tyagi has also sought quick updates of patients whose bank account details are not available. It is worth noting that the Nikshay Poshan Yojana has supported around 4.05 lakh patients in the year 2023, and since 2018, it has benefited nearly 20 lakh patients with a total disbursement of Rs 517 crore.