Notify TB among kin, friends and earn Rs 500

As per the RNTCP data of 2017, over 49,000 HIV associated TB cases are yet to be covered by the program and start treatment. The move has come a month after Global TB Report 2018 by World Health Organisation revealed India accounts for a 26% gap for worldwide diagnosis, detection and treatment

In order to reduce the gap of missing tuberculosis patients, the state government has now decided to give a opportunity to an individual to earn Rs 500 who encourages TB patient for treatment and get him notified under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP). Senior health official said as per the RNTCP data of 2017, over 49,000 HIV associated TB cases are yet to be covered by the program and start treatment. The move has come a month after Global TB Report 2018 by World Health Organisation revealed that India accounts for a 26 per cent gap for worldwide diagnosis, detection and treatment followed by Indonesia (11 per cent), Nigeria (9 per cent) and Philippines (7 per cent). Dr Sanjeev Kamble, Director of the Directorate of Health science said it is the central government directives in which they have notified to give Rs 1,000 to doctors and Rs 500 to friends, family members or acquaintances who guide the active Tb member to avail treatment. “Till now 2,700 doctors have been rewarded for notifying a new TB cass for which Rs 1,000 has been given to each doctors,” added Dr Kamble. India accounts for 2.74million TB cases, 27 per cent of world’s total. But with a decline rate of 1.7 per cent (2.79 million in 2016 to 2.74 million in 2017), the country is far from achieving its TB free India target of 2025. Maharashtra is also inching closer to achieving their target of extending the Direct Benefit Transfer (DTB) to all the 71,291 patients who are to get Rs 500 every month for nutritional support. Under the scheme, TB patients on treatment as on April 1 are given additional monetary support for monthly nutritional needs. The state has 2.04 TB patients of which over 65000 are in Mumbai. “A total of 41,029 beneficiaries are covered under the DTB scheme and we are hoping all of them are likely to be covered by year end,” Dr Kamble added.