LAKHIMPUR: The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, through the Central TB Division, has introduced the ‘Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ (PMTBMBA) campaign where the community is encouraged to adopt TB patients and support them in the form of nutritional support, nutritional supplements and vocational support for a minimum period of six months or maximum period of up to three years. This nationwide campaign of PMTBMBA was launched by President of India on September 9, 2022. Under this programme, a donor is called Nikshay-Mitra who can be Individuals, NGOs, cooperative societies, faith-based organizations, corporations, political parties, and others. A Mitra can adopt at least one consented TB patient on treatment for a minimum period of six months for any support they want to give the patient.
In this connection, Dr. HN Boruah, District TB & AIDS Control Officer, Lakhimpur, in a statement said that the relentless pursuit of the district teams concerned, led by then District Commissioner Sumit Sattawan and Joint Director of Health Services Dr. Gunin Kumar Gogoi to locate Nikshay Mitra to provide nutritional support to TB patients in the Lakhimpur district yielded positive results. In response to Lakhimpur District Health Services’ appeal, the Powergrid Corporation of India stepped forward. It sanctioned an amount of Rs 16,50,000 under CSR scheme to extend nutritional support to 452 TB patients over six months, assisting once a month under the PMTMBA initiative. Fifty percent cent of the sanctioned amount has already been released and the remaining amount is expected to be released after successful utilization of the amount already released.
Under the sanctioned fund by Power Grid Corporation of India, as Nikshay-Mitra, the ceremonial distribution of food packets to the TB patients of Lakhimpur under PMTBMBA scheme was held recently. On this occasion, a ceremonial function was held by Lakhimpur District Health Services in the conference hall of the Joint Director Office. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Biman Sarmah, Joint Director of DHS, Lakhimpur. Attending the event Bhogeswar Boro, DGM, TLC and Pankaj Mech, Engineer, TLC of Power Grid corporation of India delivered lecture.
A number of dignitaries also attended the meeting and a total of 12 patients received food packets during the inauguration of the programme. Food packets to rest of the patients will be distributed at block level in next few days. The Lakhimpur District TB and AIDS Control Officer has expressed sincere gratitude to the Power Grid Corporation of India for their commendable initiative.
Notably, the district team consisting of Medical Officers, employees of the health department, co-operative societies, NGOs, and individuals have already provided nutritional support to 872 TB patients in the Lakhimpur district through 236 registered Nikshay Mitras under PMTBMBA scheme since the launch of the scheme on September 9, 2022. As of now, there are 479 TB patients in the Lakhimpur district yet to be covered under the PMTBMBA-Nikshay Mitra scheme. The NTEP Lakhimpur district team has already prepared the beneficiary list as per the current load of TB patients and furnished the same to the food vendor who has been selected through competitive bidding.
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