Red Cross Society Palamu would adopt and provide food basket to 18 primitive tribal people suffering from TB. There are in all 1,849 TB patients in Palamu. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by the DC Palamu Anjaneyulu Dodde which was attended by the civil surgeon Palamu Dr Vijay Kumar Singh and district TB officer Dr Anil Kumar Srivastav besides elected zila parishad officials.
Srivastav said this is the first initiative being rolled out for the PTG individuals suffering from TB. This food basket will be an additional food offer besides 500 rupees that are being given to the TB patients by the government.
He said four doctors namely Dr Vijay Kumar Singh, Dr Anil Kumar, Dr Anil Kumar Srivastav and Dr Perween Siddharth have consented to adopt and provide food basket to five each of the TB patients. Srivastav said registration for consent to adopt and provide food basket has to be mandatorily done on the Nikshay portal.
Sources said till date no MLA or MP has come forward to adopt and provide food basket to any TB patients here in Palamu.
Interestingly Palamu has four BJP MLAs and two BJP MPs but none have shown any interest in adoption and providing food basket to the TB patients.
Food basket is to be given every month for six months which is to essentially carry pulse, peanuts, jaggery and mustard oil. There are three options for second line of food basket which include milk, horlicks and sattu but here only one of the three has to be given. Srivastav said sattu is the first choice here in Palamu.
This food basket to TB patients is just to keep the TB patients satisfaction of food every month for at least six months.