Himachal would be TB free by 2021-22: Minister

Himachal Pradesh would achieve the target of tuberculosis (TB) free state in 2021-22, four years ahead the National target of 2025, health Minister Kaul Singh today said.
Speaking at a function to mark the 'World TB Day' after flagging off an awareness rally with participants from 21 countries, Thakur said that the programme would get impetus with launch of Mukhyamantri TB eradication scheme announced in the budget by the chief minister from 2017-18.
With enhanced budget allocations, Singh said that state of the art GeneXpert rapid TB test machines have been provided in nine out of twelve districts for quick detection of the disease while three remaining districts would be covered soon and these machines would be provided at lower level also.

He said that the TBdetection was imperative for counselling of the patient and treatment through regular medication and steps taken by the government would prove effective in controlling the disease.
He said that Hamirpur district was included under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) in 1997 and later it was extended to the entire state in 2012.
There are 72TB units in 74 Health Blocksand 200 diagnostic Microscopic centres in the state and about 2 lakh TB patients have been cured since 1997.
Claiming that the health indicators in Himachal Pradesh are better than that at National level, he said IMR (Infant Mortality Rate) was 28 as against 37 at national level while child mortality rate was 33 as compared to 43 at the national level.