Health officials get tablets to monitor TB patients’ stat

In all, 1,412 tablets would be distributed to these supervisors, who are in the frontline of the effort to eradicate TB. It is the STS and STLS who implement the web-based solution for monitoring TB patients, called Nikshay, at the district level. These tablets would make it easier to update details and the status of all the patients online. 

“The STS and STLS visit patient’s homes to monitor their recovery, besides also giving them counselling on nutrition. They update their status on Nikshay every fortnight, which will now be done using the tabs,” said Dr Senthil Raj, State TB Officer. He added that providing hand-held would benefit the programme and the patient. 

Another measure is deploying two mobile Cartridge Based Nitric Acid Amplification Test Machine (CB NAAT). “CB NAAT helps to pick up mycobacterium TB bacteria accurately, rather than seeing it traditionally in microscopes. We already have 64 such machines, but they are fixed. We are planning to send these vehicles to all 32 districts in the next four months to test the public,” added Dr Raj.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami flagged off two vehicles with ultra-modern facilities to test tuberculosis, and also distributed laptops to government laboratory supervisors in TB treatment section, on Saturday. 

These vans would go across the state to identify patients and facilitate treatment, helping to reach the goal to eradicate the disease. Also, besides the Rs 1,000 that is being provided to poor rural patients who could not afford to buy tablets, an additional Rs 500 would be deposited in their account, added the chief minister. A statement added that Palaniswami inaugurated 35 centres set up by REACH, an NGO, and National Institute for Research in TB (NIRT) to monitor treatment at private hospitals in the city.