MEERUT: Meerut is set to receive seven new laboratories in primary health centres (PHC) to test tuberculosis (TB) cases. This comes in addition to the already existing 39 TB labs.The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) labs - to be introduced on April 1 - will be opened at seven PHCs as per by the Union government’s directive.According to the directive, each peripheral health institution, which has one medical officer and an OPD, should have a TB lab.The move will benefit at least 80,000 people who earlier had to travel long distances to test their sputum . It is also part of a nationwide effort to eradicate the disease by 2025. The disease claims more than 4.06 lakh lives in India every year.“The Union government’s directive ensures that peripheral health institution – which has one medical officer and OPD – should have a TB test lab. We have 24 primary health centres in the city. Most of them already have TB test labs. Now, seven PHCs were identified for the labs with an effective set up. The seven labs will start its operations from April 1,” said Dr MS Fauzdar, Meerut district tuberculosis officer.No special budget has been allocated. So, the existing resources will be utilized. “We have trained pharmacists, nurses and lab technicians in receiving samples and testing them. We are waiting for the new financial year for the lab operations to start. It will enable us to compare the earlier TB data with the new cases,” added Dr Fauzdar.Health authorities stated that at least 80,000 people will benefit from the new labs as they would have more labs to visit now.

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