TN will have no TB cases by 2025: Health Minister

The minister launched a short-term treatment regimen and a mobile unit with X-ray facilities to identify TB cases across the state, at the Tuberculosis Hospital in Tambaram Sanitorium. 

While the Centre had initially mandated to ensure that TB is eradicated from all states by 2030, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a recent summit requested all state governments to take steps to ensure the same by 2025. 

Stating that Multi-Drug Resistant TB usually takes between 18 and 24 months to cure, the Health Minister, after inaugurating the new regimen, said, with the new shorter regimen, it will not take more than 12 months to cure. “The medicines and the treatment for the same will be free of cost,” he said, adding that it will kickstart with three patients at the TB Hospital. 

Urging the public to visit the nearest Primary Health Centre or government hospital in case of any symptoms like constant fever, cough and flem with bloodstains, he said that it is important for patients to undergo X-ray and sputum test. 

Also, a mobile vehicle — with digital X-ray and sputum test equipment, a Pulmonologist, a lab and X-ray technician — will go to all villages in Kancheepuram district to identify TB patients with the help of digital X-ray. “The vehicles will be taken to all scheduled places to identify patients and take their X-ray.