Nagaland governor La Ganesan distributes nutritional baskets to TB patients

Nagaland governor La Ganesan distributed nutritional baskets to tuberculosis (TB) patients of the state at Raj Bhavan in Kohima on July 15.

The nutritional baskets were distributed as part of the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.

Speaking on the occasion, Ganesan pointed out that India accounts for the world’s highest number of TB patients, with an estimated 26 lakh people contracting the disease. He added approximately four lakh people die of the disease every year.

He said the economic effect of TB in terms of loss of lives, income and workdays is also substantial.

Informing that TB usually affects the most economically productive age group of society, Ganesan said this resulted in a significant loss of workdays and pushed TB patients further into the vortex of poverty.

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He said Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan the scheme aims to eliminate TB in India by 2025, five years ahead of the global target set by the United Nations under its Sustainable Development Goals.

The governor stressed that TB requires a multi-sectoral response in the form of social determinants such as nutritional support, living and working conditions and an increase in access to diagnostic and treatment services. He further said the efforts of the government are yielding significant results.

He added that the community and the institutions in society can play a critical role in filling the gaps and addressing social determinants, thereby contributing towards ending TB in India.

Ganesan said the Ministry of Health and family welfare is implementing community support to TB patients by urging the citizens to come forward as a Ni-Kshay Mitra or doner, he said.

Ganesan said the Ni-Kshay Mitra programme includes cooperative societies, corporate, elected representatives, individuals, institutions, non-governmental organisations, political parties and partners who can support by adopting health facilities or patients for accelerating response against TB to complement government efforts.

The governor who himself had registered as a Ni-Kshay Mitra expressed his happiness that the officers and staff of Raj Bhavan have also come forward to register themselves as Ni-Kshay Mitras.

Ganesan emphasised the need for more publicity and awareness programmes in order to encourage more Ni-Kshay Mitras in future.

He urged the health and family welfare department as well as the TB cells spread across the districts in Nagaland to be more proactive and help achieve the national target.

The governor also distributed nutritional supplement baskets to the patients at the programme.