TB patients not availing benefits

JAIPUR: More than 100,000 tuberculosis patients are yet to share bank account details with their doctors in government and private hospitals, according to data from the state health department.

The account details of the TB patients are being asked so as to give them ₹500 per month for nutrition support, directly cred- ited to the account of the patient under the Centre’s Nikshay Poshan Yojana scheme.

The health department has asked all chief medical and health officers across the state to take bank account number of eligible TB patients in their area and enter the same on Nikshay portal by March 26 this year.

National health mission chief Dr Samit Sharma on Monday said the state has 1.72 lakh TB patients, of which only 42.16% have given their bank details. “We have sent bulk short message service (SMS) to all the TB patients on their cell phone numbers to give details of their bank account number to the treating doctors, so that they can avail the nutrition support of ₹500 per month.” Sharma said from April 1, 2018, about ₹6 crore has been gi ven t o TB patients in Rajasthan, under the scheme.