Soon, GeneXpert machines to make TB diagnosis easy

Provided by the Central TB division, the machines - that detect the DNA in TB bacteria – will serve to be a step ahead, when compared to the smear microscopy technology that was being used to detect the disease. 

Stating that the machines will help identify the gene of the bacteria very quickly, a source from the Corporation said, “Earlier, we used the smear microscopy. 

The GeneXpert Machines will use a sputum sample and give a result in less than two hours. It can also detect the genetic mutations associated with resistance to the drug Rifampicin.” With the TB deaths soaring to 480,000 in 2015 from 220,000 in 2014, the need for a nationwide programme to control the disease was felt. 

As a result, public and private organisations like the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and various NGOs had started the initiative in an attempt to eradicate TB by 2023. “In Chennai, an estimated 203 people out of every 100,000 have the disease. We usually have about 17,000 cases in Chennai. Of these, only 9,000 cases are notified to the government,” said a health official. 

While the machines have been allotted to Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHC) in various zones including Chintadripet, Pulianthope, Mogappair, Kodambakkam, Thiruvanmiyur, Valluvar Kottam and Semmencheri, at least five more are expected, according to City Health Officer Dr Senthil Nathan. 

“We have allotted the 10 machines to one UPHC in each zone. Company experts will train our lab technicians on how to operate these machines before we can launch the machines, which is expected to be done within a week,” he added.