TB-free Chennai programme launched

The project is being undertaken by the Greater Chennai Corporation, which is also working with the National TB Research Centre and an NGO called REACH, stated a release. 

The Corporation has signed agreements with USAID and Stop TB Partnership – both International Organisations. Chennai is the first among the metro cities to have initiated the programme, the release added. The programme will be executed in four phases to ensure that TB is detected early in the first phase, while the necessary treatment and counselling will be provided in the second phase. 

The field workers will go to slum areas where cases are reportedly high and conduct check-ups. Necessary tests, including the laser test, will be done, it added. The last stage will focus on creating awareness to ensure that they realise there is nothing to fear and also they do not isolate TB patients. 

To ensure that the disease is detected in people at the earliest, 10 gene Xpert machines or CB-NAAT were handed over to the Corporation to be distributed to various zones in the city. 

The Corporation also signed an agreement with REACH to implement this scheme in all private hospitals, it said, adding that awareness should be created to ensure that the 600 private hospitals, 2,000 research centres, 2,000 medical shops and 12,000 doctors report any TB case they come across. 

Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Director General, Indian Council for Medical Research, Corporation Commissioner D Karthikeyan, Health Minister Dr C Vijaya Baskar, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan and others were present at the meet.