NHM director inaugurates C&DST Lab at RP Chest hospital

The National Health Mission, Government of Meghalaya today observed World TB Day 2024 under the theme, “Yes, we can end TB.” The programme was also followed by the inauguration of the C&DST Lab at R. P. Chest Hospital Compound, Shillong.

Dignitaries in attendance were Ramkumar S, Mission Director NHM & Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Dr. F. V. Kharshiing, DHS, MCH&FW cum Joint MD, NHM, Meghalaya, Dr. J. Kharwanlang, State Tuberculosis Officer and Dr. B. Shanpru, District TB Officer, East Khasi Hills, staff of R. P. Chest Hospital, amongst others.

In his remarks, Ramkumar S, Mission Director NHM Meghalaya said that the Center and the state have had very clear vision to end TB in a comprehensive manner in the country and a need to test for almost all cases whenever they have a certain threshold to see what treatment regimens can be given to the people. He added that TB as a disease has to be taken seriously and it can be cured with proper treatment.

He also stressed upon screening of TB at the village level and called upon the coordination of village health council, the traditional practitioners, system of labs, diagnostics, treatments, to ensure that TB is completely eliminated in the state and the country.

Dr J. Kharwanlang, State Tuberculosis Officer informed that the state had notified 4974 cases in the year 2022 and 4812 cases in the year 2023. The presumptive TB examination rate per lakh has jumped from 646 per lakh in the year 2021 to 1433 per lakh in the year 2023. She added, “despite the presumptive TB examination rate increasing double and use of high quality diagnostic tests, the notification rate showed a decline from 130 per lakh in 2022 to 124 per lakh in 2023, reflecting an overall fall of TB incidence in the state.”

During the programme, the C&DST Lab was inaugurated which will provide the necessary support in the diagnosis and treatment of Tuberculosis. As part of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), numerous regional laboratories have been set up across states. These labs offer Culture and Drug Susceptibility Testing (C&DST) facilities for presumptive TB and for presumptive DRTB (drug-resistant TB) patients.