Two-day TB task force workshop for east zone begins

Bhubaneswar: The fact that eradication of tuberculosis in India is a huge challenge has to be accepted and accordingly steps needs to be taken, Prof (Dr) Sachidananda Mohanty, Odisha’s director of Medical Education and Training (DMET) said on Thursday.

“The diagnosis of tuberculosis cases in the eastern region has remained very low and there is a need for accelerated efforts to fight this battle,” he said.

Prof (Dr) Mohanty was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day zonal task force workshop for the east zone which began at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here. Underlining the need for better infrastructure, proper diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis patients and availability of specialists, he said these held the key to eradicate the disease from the eastern region.

Prof Mohanty pointed out that false reports on diagnosis of tuberculosis cases and the reluctance of people to visit TB wards were posing to be the hurdles.

Addressing the workshop, Prof (Dr) Pusparaj Samantasinhar, medical superintendent of IMS and SUM Hospital, said extra pulmonary TB cases where the disease was found in other parts of the body other than the lungs during screening.

Dr SK Shahi, ZTF chair, east zone, welcomed the participants. Dr Prasanta Kumar Hota, special taskforce officer, said the medical colleges had a big role to play in the battle against TB while emphasising that the district administration and medical colleges had to maintain proper coordination in this regard.

The workshop was also addressed by Dr Ashok Bharadwaj, chairperson of NTF, Dr Sanjay Mattoo, additional deputy director general, Central TB Division and Prof Banani Jena, head of Department, Pulmonary Medicine, IMS and SUM Hospital.