GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE OUTREACH OF RNTCP TO
COVER ENTIRE COUNTRY
Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Shri
Shatrughan Sinha has said that Government is making all effort
to increase the outreach of Revised National Tuberculosis Control
Programme (RNTCP) to control and detect TB in the country. More
than 12 lakh patients have been treated under the revised strategy
which includes 4.76 lakh new sputum positive cases. Currently
more than 50,000 patients are being put on treatment every month
with treatment success rate of 84%, more than three fold of earlier
programme. Government plans to cover 80% of country population
under RNTCP by March 2004 and the entire country by 2005. The
Minister said while addressing the Consultative Committee meeting
here yesterday.
The Minister informed the members that Global Fund
for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) has agreed to support implementation
of RNTCP in the three new States of Jharkhand, Uttarachal and
Chhatisgarh. RNTCP is based on high quality sputum microscopy,
uninterrupted supply of drugs given in patient-wise boxes, treatment
given under Direct Observation (DOT), Systematic monitoring of
each patient’s record till cure/successful completion of treatment.
The members expressed satisfaction on the implementation
of RNTCP but said that the implementation of the scheme at the
grass root level should be strictly monitored. Some members said
that Swasthya Melas which are being organised by the Ministry
of Health & Family Welfare should focus on creating awareness
about RNTCP and prevention of the disease. The counselling of
infected person is important to contain its spread, they stated.
Involvement of teachers and students in educating and preventing
the disease should also be considered.
The members who attended the meeting were Prof. M.M.Agarwal,
Shri Mamath Nath Das, Dr. M. Jagannath, Shri C.B. Singh, Shri
K. Chandrashekan Reddy, Dr. P. Selvie Das, Dr. S.S. Maharaj and
Dr. Ram Lakhan Singh.
