TB free India by 2025- that’s the target set by the Central Government. For this, the facilities for testing and treatment are constantly being increased. The government and administrative staff of every state is working at its peak level. In this direction, the DM of Kannauj district of Uttar Pradesh has taken an initiative, which is being praised everywhere.
Mr. Rakesh Kumar Mishra, a 2009 batch IAS officer and the District Magistrate of Kannauj, has adopted five children suffering from TB and is taking responsibility of their nutrition and treatment. Recently, the DM himself reached the house of these children and gave them refreshments. Along with this, he has also directed the concerned Lekhpal to send him the reports of children from time to time. At the same time, the officer has assured that soon arrangements will be made for other basic facilities of these poor children and their families. From ration card to job card and all other government facilities, all possible help will be given to these families.
Talking about figures – the number of TB patients in Kannauj district in the year 2019 was 3124, which decreased to 1765 in the year 2020. However, since January 2021, new TB patients have been identified from 490 government health centers and 36 from private hospitals. So far, a total of about 200 children are suffering from TB.
THE INITIATIVE
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Mastermind, Mr. Mishra said, “Children who are suffering from TB are treated free of cost in the district hospital after investigation. Along with this, they are also given 500 rupees a month. But this is not enough to fight a disease like TB. We need to put in more efforts to get rid of TB from poor children. That is why the administration has started an initiative for the purpose. In this initiative, the top officials of the district, social institutions, school-college principals and intelligent and capable people, may adopt TB patients and take the responsibility of their nutrition and treatment. Seeing the hesitation of some people at the very beginning, I thought that if I take the initiative of this noble cause myself, then maybe a better message can reach to the people. So I adopted five children. These children will now be under my care.”
He further added, “Doctors suggest that if a child suffering from TB is given nutritious diet, then their chances of recovery are greatly increased and they recover soon. According to doctors, generally, roasted gram, jaggery, groundnut, seasonal fruits and nutritious biscuits etc. should be given to these children. If these kids keep getting all these things, then they can get well soon. That is why the aim of our initiative is to adopt children and provide them with nutritious food and help them in their treatment. Other than that they don’t have many needs.”
WHAT DO TB STATISTICS SAY?
Mr. Mishra has started the treatment of the children. He himself went to their houses with nutritious food and also told them how to consume this diet. This initiative of DM has had a very positive effect and now many more officers of the district have also started adopting TB patients.
Uttar Pradesh ranks first in terms of TB patients, with about 20 percent of TB patients in the country. In the year 2020-21, about 3,68,112 TB patients were identified in Uttar Pradesh, while in the whole country this figure was 18,11,105 patients. Every fifth TB patient in the country is from UP. According to government figures, about 4,80,000 people die every year from TB in the country and 1400 people die every day. The identification of new TB patients has been greatly affected due to corona. That is why since the opening of the lockdown, many special search operations have been conducted by the Health Department for TB patients.
