TB cases on the rise in Jammu, say officials
Jammu, March 18 (PTI) Taking note of the high incidence of tuberculosis (TB) and increasing cases of multi-drug resistant TB in Jammu, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo has termed the situation a “real cause of concern”, and stressed the need for a well-structured strategy to effectively tackle the issue.
A total of 4,817 screening camps were held recently across the targeted districts in the region, testing 6,04,701 (93 per cent) vulnerable individuals, with 3,06,364 referred for further screening via X-rays, officials said.
Dulloo, who chaired a meeting to review the progress of the ‘TB Mukt’ campaign launched by the health department, said, “The situation is a real cause of concern. We need a well-structured strategy to tackle the issue effectively.”
Highlighting the achievements of the 100-day TB elimination campaign, officials reported conducting over 29,000 NAAT tests, resulting in the diagnosis of 270 new TB cases this year.
The chief secretary stressed that the success of the campaign should lead to a tangible decline in TB cases on the ground.
He also sought details of the criteria to declare panchayats TB-free and urged for proper documentation of the gains made through the 100-day TB elimination campaign.
