Calls for intensified testing & awareness
GANDERBAL: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ganderbal, Jatin Kishore today chaired a review meeting of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) to assess the progress of the TB Mukt Bharat initiative in the district.
During the meeting, District Tuberculosis Officer (DTO) presented a detailed overview of NTEP implementation, highlighting key programme indicators such as presumptive TB testing and TB notifications.
The DC undertook a comprehensive review of the achievements made so far towards the elimination of tuberculosis in the district.
Emphasising the need for accelerated efforts, the DC directed all TB diagnostic facilities to further strengthen presumptive TB testing, scale up contact tracing, and ensure high-quality case investigation. He stressed that enhanced testing and effective contact tracing are crucial for early detection of TB cases and improving overall TB notifications across the district.
He also directed optimum utilisation of TrueNat machines and asked the concerned departments to submit daily reports of TB tests conducted, both at district and block levels, to closely monitor progress.
Underscoring the importance of community engagement, the DC urged health officials to conduct sustained awareness drives in their respective areas to overcome stigma associated with tuberculosis and encourage people to seek timely diagnosis and treatment.
Reaffirming the district administration’s commitment, the DC assured full administrative support for strengthening TB elimination efforts and achieving the goal of a TB-free Ganderbal.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Planning Officer, Chief Medical Officer Ganderbal, Deputy CMO Ganderbal, District Health Officer Ganderbal, District Tuberculosis Officer Ganderbal, Medical Superintendent SDH Kangan, representatives from District Hospital Ganderbal, and Block Medical Officers from Ganderbal, Kangan, Lar and Wakura, among others.