NASHIK: A software that will remind tuberculosis patients of taking medicines will be launched in the city for the first time in the country. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is developing the software that will have an alarm system, asking the patient to take medicine in time."There should not be break or gap in the treatment. For this, awareness should be created. All TB patients should be treated," said NMC's medical superintendent Vijay Dekate. Every year 2,300 TB patients are detected in Nashik.A team from the TB Division of the central government had come to Nashik on Wednesday to assess the status of implementation of daily regimen for drug sensitive TB. Under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme , the team observed the status of TB in Nashik and Malegoan Municipal Corporation limits and rural areas."The team studied the DOTS (directly observed treatment short course) in the city. Currently, the DOTS programme , wherein the TB patients are identified and treated, is conducted every alternate day. But, now, we have been asked to conduct it daily. The DOTS providers go to the patient and give medicines," said Dekate."Secondly, private medical practitioners will have to identify TB cases and treat them. They should inform the government or the NMC of such cases. The government will give the medicines and the private practitioners should give them to the patient free," Dekate said. The private practitioners should observe the patients everyday and should send the report to the NMC, civil hospital, etc.The team appreciated the hi-tech Gene X-Pert Machine , used to detect TB , at NMC's Dr Zakir Hussain Hospital. They also appreciated our Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre, Dekate added.

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