Tinsukia: Seeking community support, Tinsukia DC Swapneel Paul has appealed to citizens of the district to adopt a Tuberculosis (TB) patient to help them meet their nutritional needs.
Addressing a meeting at the DC conference hall on Friday, Paul said the health department is looking after the medical needs of the TB patients including diagnosis, treatment, and medicines. “We want individuals and organisations from the society to come forward and adopt these patients to help them meet their nutrition needs.”
The contribution will require an individual or organisation to invest an amount of Rs 500 for each TB patient for their grocery requirement, which includes rice, pulses, and edible oil among others during the duration of the treatment i.e. for a period of 6 months.
Notably, Tinsukia has over 1,938 TB patients of which 99.5 percent belong to marginalized sections of society.
Paul further said, “Nutrition plays an important role in the recovery of the TB patients and it is seen that the marginalized section finds it very difficult to meet their nutrition needs required during the treatment process.”
According to a study by National Library of Medicine, in patients with tuberculosis malnutrition leads to a reduction in appetite, nutrient malabsorption, micronutrient malabsorption, and altered metabolism and it has been found that malnourished tuberculosis patients have delayed recovery and higher mortality rates than well-nourished patients.
Discouraging any contribution in cash, Paul said the ideal situation would be if the groceries can be delivered to the doorstep of the TB patients. “In case a TB patient’s residence is very far away for which it would not be possible for an individual to deliver the grocery at the doorstep every month, in such cases they can deliver the grocery with the help of a district TB officer who will ensure that the grocery is delivered at the doorstep of the patients and share a photograph with the donor over WhatsApp,” added Paul.
The community contribution is an important step towards the war against this deadly disease and will be a milestone in making India TB Mukt by 2025, Paul said.
Paul has also appealed to Navratna PSU’s like Oil India Limited and Indian Oil Corporation to use their CSR fund for the initiative and said that there are no limits in adopting the number of patients by an individual.
District Development Commissioner (DDC) Sushanto Dutta has been made the nodal officer for the initiative under which an individual or organisation wishing to adopt TB patients has to register at https://reports.nikshay.in/FormIO/DonorRegistration.
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Meanwhile, the IOC has announced a financial aid of Rs 1 crore under CSR programme for the diagnosis and nutritional needs of TB patients.
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