The 'Mitanins' on the World Tuberculosis Day on Monday took out a public awareness rally from the District TB Control Centre and pledged to make Chhattisgarh free of TB.
The rally, after meandering through Mahila Thana Chowk, Fire Brigade Chowk, Motibagh, Evergreen Chowk, Maalvirod and Kotwali Chowk, culminated at the District TB Control Centre, Kalibadi Chowk, in the city. On the occasion, DOTS providers were given their honorarium. (DOTS or directly observed treatment short-course, is the name given to the tuberculosis control strategy recommended by the World Health Organization.)
Besides, the 'Mitanins' made door-to-door visits in various localities of the State capital and informed people about measures to prevent TB.They also asked the people to advise those who develop the symptoms of TB to go for a sputum examination. The 'Mitanins' were given publicity materials and containers for collecting sputum, so that the people could get tested free of cost at the nearest microscopic centre.
'Mitanins' are volunteer community health workers (CHWs). The word 'Mitanins' means 'friends' in the local language.Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr KR Sonwani, Civil Surgeon Dr VK Das, District TB Officer Dr SN Pandey and senior officers from the Health Department were present on the occasion.
Addressing the Mitanins, State TB Officer Dr TK Agrawal said that the control of TB depends upon two things - identification of people affected by the disease and their complete treatment through DOTS after test. The responsibility of identifying the TB patients is of the health workers and 'Mitanins', he added.
Agrawal said that for free testing and treatment of TB patients, the State government has created facilities at various levels. In the coming years these facilities would be further developed, so that more and more people could avail of it at their nearest places. The treatment units at all community health centres and the number of microscopic centres for testing the disease have been increased in the State, he added.
The World Tuberculosis Day, falling on March 24 each year, is designed to build public awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis and efforts to eliminate the scourge.