With 628 teams, Health Department conducts door-to-door survey to identify suspected Tuberculosis cases

Mysuru:  In an effort to make Mysuru District ‘Tuberculosis (TB)-Free’ by 2025, the District Health and Family Welfare Department, under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), has constituted 628 teams who are visiting every household and collecting information about suspected TB cases.

In recent times, number of TB patients is on the rise due to lack of awareness among public who often neglect the symptoms and hence never get themselves treated, hence the Health Department has taken decisive steps to ‘Detect-Treat-Prevent’ tuberculosis at its initial stages itself. 

As part of RNTCP, ten districts including Mysuru have been selected to make the region ‘TB-free’ by 2025. Door-to-door survey is being conducted in all villages and towns including Mysuru city, which would provide comprehensive information about patients suffering from TB and in turn would be providing treatment.

While Government Hospitals are conducting free lab test and X-Rays, private hospitals have been instructed to conduct free check-ups. If any TB cases are detected as part of this programme, monthly sustenance amount of Rs. 500 will be provided to facilitate immediate treatment.

Precautionary  measures

The Health Department has taken up numerous measures to create awareness about TB among public. These include getting tested for TB annually at least once, cover their mouth either with hands or a hand kerchief while sneezing or coughing and not spit in public places as TB is an airborne disease.

Survey methodology

 The survey has been launched on July 15 in all the seven taluks of the district including small cities and towns where 628 teams comprising ASHA workers, ANMs, nurses and doctors are conducting door-to-door visits to inquire about occurrence of TB. 

A questionnaire would have checklists including queries like ‘Is anybody suffering from unabated cough for seven days? Do they smoke? Is there any weight reduction or emaciation? In case any suspected cases are found, phlegm is collected and sent to nearby Government hospitals. If the result is positive, all members of that household would be tested and free treatment would be provided immediately.

70 percent reduction 

According to data, there has been about 70 percent reduction in number of TB cases this year. All primary health centres in the district are providing free treatment for TB. Tests for tuberculosis called CB-NAAT is being conducted in city’s K.R. Hospital and PKTB (Sanatorium) as well as Hunsur Government Hospital.

CB-NAAT test (Cartridge- Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test), also called Genexpert in most countries, is a molecular TB test which detects the DNA in TB bacteria. It uses a sputum sample and can give a result in less than 2 hours. It can also detect the genetic mutations associated with resistance to the drug Rifampicin. 

Centre’s initiative: Dr. P.S. Ravi, District TB Officer said, “The Centre has taken up initiative to make India Tuberculosis-Free. As part of the initiative, we have taken up the task of making the district TB-Free. There has been a decrease in the number of TB cases reported in recent years,” he said. 

From January to June of this year, 1,485 persons have been detected with the disease. Over 6 lakh persons have been interviewed regarding their health conditions in all the seven taluks in the district and 141 positive TB cases have been detected. People should co-operate in this endeavour and conduct sputum test, he added.