The infectious disease of tuberculosis or TB is continuing to be a major health problem with over 10,322 cases detected in 2017.
The State Tuberculosis Officer Dr. Showkat Ali Looloo said that “We have registered a total of 10,322 persons with TB in 2017 who are detected, notified and given treatment at an event at Government Dental College and Hospital in Srinagar. The State Tuberculosis Control Society, Kashmir and District TB Centre Srinagar, has organized this event under the aegis of Directorate of Health Services Kashmir.
He said that the health department had kept a target about 9244 cases in the public sector, but the registration was about 9296 cases during the previous year. In private sector, they have fixed a target of about 6000 cases but only 1026 cases registered.
Dr. Showkat said that we have many facilities available now for the treatment of TB. During earlier days, we got sputum microscopy and chest x-rays, but we got latest instruments like CB net which can detect the disease. We also got a mobile TB machinery which can detect the TB within two hours.
According to Dr. Saleem-ur-Rehman, Director Health Services Kashmir focus on the role of private practitioners and diagnostic laboratories in Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programm or RNTCP. He asked the officials and other stakeholders to hold RNTCP program and promote the awareness about the disease.
The function which was organized was attended by senior officials of health department, Goverment Medical College, SKIMS, Drug and Food Control Department, religious leaders and private practitioners.
WHO has said that the drug-resistant TB is a major global threat which spreads through coughs and sneezes. Last year about 10.4 million people fell ill with TB, and WHO reported about 1.8 million deaths for TB in 2016. These figures make TB as the top infectious killer disease in the World.
