Mobile TB van starts operation in Tondiarpet

“Of the seven screening vans (MDU) planned, one is ready and commenced its operation. On Monday, the van visited Bharathi Nagar in Tondiarpet and X-ray screening was done on 55 persons,” a Corporation official said.

The civic body has planned to fabricate seven ordinary vans into TB screening vans by installing X-ray machines and other equipment at a cost of Rs 3.53 crore. Each MDU will have a field supervisor, lab technician, radiography staff and other paramedical staff, and the MDUs would function for six hours a day.

The official added that the fabrication works for one van was completed and works are underway for six MDUs. “Other six vans will be ready before the end of this month and they will visit slum areas to screen patients”

The Corporation has partnered with a US-based NGO called Stop TB Partnership and REACH foundation to implement the programme. According to Corporation data, there are nearly 20,000 TB patients in the city.