Nashik: On account of World Tuberculosis Day — observed every year on March 24 — the district health department has launched a series of programmes for spreading awareness about tuberculosis (TB) among 40 lakh people in rural areas of the district.Sunday being a holiday, the district health department would organize an awareness programme at the Nashik civil hospital on Monday. Nashik district Tuberculosis officer Dilip Sambhaji Ranvir said, “A week-long programme staring March 22 has been planned to spread awareness about tuberculosis which is spreading fast across the country. The aim is to trace all TB patients and bring them under treatment.”“In India, half the population is infected with the TB bacteria. However, not all are suffering with the disease. If a person’s immunity is strong, the disease may not take him/her in its grip. People should always get themselves medically examined if they are suffering from cough for more than two weeks, suffer from mild fever in the evenings, loss of appetite, weight loss, pain in chest, weakness and sweating in the nights,” he added.A large number of patients take treatment in private hospitals which does not come on government record. Thus, if a patient leaves the treatment in between there is possibility that the patient may succumb to the disease.In 2018, the district TB department found 2,948 new patients who were brought under treatment. Of these 57 were found drug resistant and medical treatment was started for them accordingly.“Around 95% of the patients were cured after being brought under treatment. However, 28 died during the course of treatment last year,” Ranvir said.Owing to this, the district health department has launched a week-long programme under which awareness rallies will be conducted in every taluka, workshops will be organised for Sarpanch and gram panchayats to trace TB patients, conduct meeting of TB patients and DOT (directly observed treatment) providers, meets of women and girls, awareness through exhibition of posters, community meeting in every taluka, among others.“We are spreading awareness through 16 TB squads, 70 counselling centres, 138 government and non-government health institutes. The treatment of TB is given free of cost at all government hospitals,” he said.

Stay updated with all the Latest Nashik headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.