IMA asks private doctors to notify authorities about number of TB patients

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Wednesday urged all private doctors to notify every tuberculosis patient in order to achieve India's goal to 'End TB' by 2025.

The annual number of TB cases notified by private providers needs to increase ten-fold, from 0.2 to 2 million annually by 2020, IMA national president Ravi Wankhedkar said at an event in Indore in Madhya Pradesh.

"India has the largest burden of tuberculosis in the world. Notification of every TB patient is the single most important intervention to meet the government's vision of a TB-free India.

"The state branch of IMA will address this and encourage all private doctors to notify every TB patient in order to achieve goal of 'End TB' in Madhya Pradesh. If patients are detected early and accurately, it gives an opportunity to treat them early and prevent infection further," Wankhedkar said.

The IMA highlighted various efforts to achieve the 'End TB' vision as part of a joint collaboration with the government to reach out to every private doctor and through them to every TB patient in the state of Madhya Pradesh.

As per the latest available data, the number of TB patients notified in MP during 2017 was 1,34,333, with 1,870 drug resistant TB cases being diagnosed. Out of this, 12 per cent TB patients were notified from private sector, an IMA statement said.

IMA will galvanise private doctors to increase notification and work toward the cause of ending TB by optimal utilisation of the government's notification system, NIKSHAY, the statement stated.

The IMA will inform and encourage private doctors to take advantage of the various facilities made available by the Government under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) for the benefit of patients seeking care from the private sector, including free diagnosis, drugs and NIKSHAY Poshan Yojana under which every TB patient gets Rs 500 per month towards nutrition support till completion of treatment.