Tura, Oct 28: Member of the Parliament, Lok Sabha Agatha K Sangma distributed Nutritional Food items to TB Patients during National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme for Nutritional Support at District Tuberculosis Hospital, K A Road, West Garo Hills Tura. The programme was organized by District Tuberculosis Office, West Garo Hills District Tura.
Speaking during the brief function, Agatha K Sangma, Lok Sabha MP expressed her appreciation to the Medical Officers and staff for their dedicated service towards the elimination of Tuberculosis in the district in connection with the Government of India initiative to eliminate TB by 2025. She stated that in order to eliminate the disease, support and cooperation of both Medical officers and patients is necessary adding that patients need to take medicine regularly and complete the course and also consume nutritious food and urged the patients to cooperate and help accelerate the Country’s progress towards elimination of TB in the district.
She also expressed her appreciation to the testimony of TB Warrior and advised others to endure and bear witness to the success of the elimination programme.
Meanwhile, the District Tuberculosis Officer, Dr. E A Sangma presented the progress report of the Elimination of Tuberculosis in the district as per the directive of the Government of India and informed that the district has achieved 93 percent of the target and that the success rate is 83 percent summing up to one of the Best Performing District in the State. She also mentioned that they visit homes of the patients, organize community awareness programmes in villages including awareness programmes in schools and colleges, etc. She further mentioned the gathering that anyone who has symptoms like cough of any duration, fever, night sweat, loss of appetite can come forward for sputum test or can bring anybody who has these symptoms to TB Hospital and if they are diagnosed with the disease then the person would be awarded with incentive.
Moreover, as part of the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, she informed that under the recently launched Union Government’s Nikshay Mitra Scheme, which aims at eradicating tuberculosis in the country by providing free diet or nutrition to such patients. Therefore, few donors namely, Member of the Parliament Agatha K Sangma, Babelapara MDC and Chairman, GDADC, High Powered Committee Rakesh A Sangma, Subir Marak from Garobhada, Manager, State Bank of India, Ampati Branch, Jasmine B A Sangma, Mehtab Chandi A Sangma, Habibuz Zaman, MDC, Akki A Sangma, Marbilline R Sangma, Akhtar Ali, Hope –Ladies Engineer Group, Tura have generously donated for 212 TB Patients in West Garo Hills District.
Miss Biginchi Momin, TB Champion also gave her testimony during the function who had gone through such a difficult phase in her life but championed with her patience and determination and is now continuing her studies after two years of treatment.