NEW DELHI, June 21: Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said despite socio-economic development and advances in medical science, tuberculosis still remains a major public health concern globally but reiterated the Government’s commitment to accomplish the ambitious plans for the 12th Five Year Plan Period and the vision of a “TB-free India”.
“Millions of people suffer and die from this disease every year. The TB problem was very acute a decade ago in our country. However, since the Millennium Development Declaration by United Nations in 2000, the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme has been successful in achieving the desired goals, both for detection and cure in our country,” Mr Azad said in his address after inaugurating Private Ward at LRS Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases here.
This is the first Private Ward facility for TB patients in the Government sector in the country.
Mr Azad said since 2007, Revised National TB Control Programme(RNTCP) has achieved the case detection rate of more than 70 per cent in line with the global targets for TB control while maintaining the treatment success rate of more than 85 per cent.
“The treatment success rates have tripled from 25 per cent in pre-RNTCP era to 87 per cent at present. TB death rates have been reduced from 29 per cent to four per cent during the same period. Another challenge of great concern is the development of resistance to anti-TB drugs due to irregular and incomplete treatment with irrational regimens. This is being dealt with appropriate expansion of diagnostic and treatment services for managing Drug Resistant TB; that is MDR and XDR TB, across the country. It is a matter of great satisfaction that with the advent of effective drugs, modern technology and programme management techniques under the ‘Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme’, recent decline of the disease prevalence and mortality is evident,” he said.
Speaking about the LRS Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, Mr Azad said Lala Ram Sarup Khanna donated five acres of land in 1952.
The Government added another 20 acres and gave this land to TB Association of India for TB hospital. With a view to giving renewed priority to TB, the Union Government upgraded this hospital into an Institute in 1991 and handed over to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Since then the Institute has been playing a significant role as an apex Institute in the country for prevention, control and treatment of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases. The Institute has developed considerable expertise in diagnosis, treatment and management of various other respiratory diseases like Lung Cancer, Bronchial Asthma, Interstitial Lung Disease and Thoracic Surgical conditions. With increasing expertise, the Institute has acquired national and international recognition – attracting a large number of patients from all sections of the society. The Institute has constructed a Private Block for care of patients who are willing and able to pay for the facilities.This addition in infrastructure will not only help patients to avail of the improved facilities but also act as a catalyst for further progress of the Institute.
Mr Azad congratulated the Director, staff and the officers concerned in the Health Ministry for timely and successful completion of the project. (UNI)
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