Port Blair, Sept. 27: As part of the commemoration of the first anniversary of the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, a special event was organized by the State TB Unit, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, at the Andaman & Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS) in Port Blair on September 22, 2023. For effective engagement of the community in the path towards eliminating TB in India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is implementing the ‘Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ wherein the community is encouraged to adopt TB patients and support them in the form of nutritional support, additional investigations, and vocational support for a minimum period of six months to a maximum of 3 years. Under this programme, the volunteer is called a Nikshay Mitra. Nikshay Mitra can be individuals, NGOs, Co-operative Societies, faith-based organizations, Co-operatives or Political parties. The support provided to the patient under this initiative is in addition to the free diagnostics, free drugs and ‘Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana’ provided by NTEP to all TB patients notified from both the public and private sectors.
This initiative was unveiled on September 9, 2022 and in just one year, Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has become the world’s largest crowd-sourcing initiative for nutritional support to TB patients. In one year, over 1 lakh Nikshay Mitras have committed to supporting over 10 lakh TB patients. This extraordinary level of community participation marks a significant milestone in the fight against TB.
Dr. Pragya Sharma, Director of ANIIMS, was the chief guest while Dr. Suja Antony, Director of Health Services was the guest of honour of the event organized on 22nd Sept., 2023. In her address, Dr. Pragya Sharma, underscored the vital role of the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan in the national mission to eliminate tuberculosis. She passionately urged the audience to actively participate as Nikshay Mitras, reinforcing the idea that collective efforts are imperative in the fight against TB. Dr. P. Lal, Joint Secretary of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP), gave an informative presentation, shedding light on the strides made in the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan over the past year.
Attendees included the faculty of ANIIMS, The Joint Secretaries of various National Programs, the doctors from the Directorate of Health Services and the students of ANIIMS. Nikshay Mitras, the key contributors to the initiative, were honoured during the event. Dr. Pragya Sharma awarded certificates to them.