TB eradication program to be initiated in medical colleges

Hyderabad: The health ministry has taken a decision to take care of the ever-rising tuberculosis patients in the country by asking the Medical Council of India to make it mandatory for teaching colleges to treat them.

TB infected patients will now be provided treatment in separate centers set up in teaching colleges and multi-drug resistant TB. This center will be one of the criteria for recognition of medical colleges. These centers will also take care of patients suffering from multi-drug resistant TB.

The step is being taken due to the rising numbers of tuberculosis and MDR-TB patients. This step would ensure effective tackling of patients. The involvement of medical colleges is bound to bring down the rising patient numbers.

Dr B.S. Raju, assistant professor in a government college, told the Deccan Chronicle "Data shows that there are 27.9 lakh tuberculosis cases in India. On an average, there are 211 new infections diagnosed per 1 lakh people. The disease burden is huge. Apart from TB hospitals, it requires getting other government hospitals involved to treat these patients.."

The 147 multi-drug resistant tuberculosis treatment centers all over are not sufficient to treat the patients. These steps are being taken as the government has set a target of eradicating tuberculosis by 2025.