To ascertain the exact number of tuberculosis patients, Health and Family Welfare Secretary Dr Pramod Kumar Meherda flagged off a mobile van for the purpose here on Sunday.
The programme of introduction of TB detection mobile vans has been introduced jointly by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Central TB Division and World Health Organisation, South-East Asia office. The van flagged off here would operate in Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattishar to detect TB patients. The van, fitted with X-ray and CB-NAAT machine, would examine patients at 21 places in 15 districts in Odisha. The programme will continue for eight to 10 months, said an official release.
As many as 21 employees, including doctors, have been engaged in the van. It has been targeted that the entire country would be made TB-free by 2025.
Among others, RMRC Director Sanghamitra Pati, Khordha district Collector Seetanshu Kumar Rout and CDMO Bijay Kumar Mohapatra were present.