Pakistan is the fourth country in the world with maximum number of TB cases (15 to 45 years) and real challenge is to hunt those TB patients who have discontinued their treatment and become drug resistant TB patients. Health professionals said this while addressing a seminar organized by the Punjab Health Department in connection with World Tuberculosis Day here at Al-Hamra Hall here on Thursday.
Director General Health Dr Zahid Pervaiz, President Pakistan Chest Society and Professor of Pulmonary Diseases Services Hospital Professor Kamran Cheema, National TB Control Programme Co-ordinator Dr Ijaz Qadir, Provincial Co-ordinator TB Programme Dr Abdul Majid Akhtar, Professor Sadaqat Ali, medical experts, representatives of international development partners, NGOs, civil society and others were present.
Provincial Co-ordinator TB Programme Dr Abdul Majid gave presentation regarding the steps taken by the Punjab government and way forward to control and treatment of TB. Under Direct Observe Treatment Short Course (TB DOTS) Programme, 559 Basic Management Units (BMUs) are providing facilities to TB patients whereas 1248 General Practitioners (GPs) have also been registered under Provincial TB control programme for providing treatment to the patients, he said.
He further said that e-monitoring system for medicine stock and data of TB patients is also functioning and six laboratories have been established for providing diagnostic facilities for the patients. He said that five digital x-rays machines are being installed in different cities. Moreover, the hospitals of Al-Khidmat Foundation have also been registered under TB control programme where free medicines would be provided to such patients, he said.
He said that 11 centres for Drug Resistant TB patients are providing special treatment facilities to the complicated TB cases. He revealed that childhood TB programme has also been launched to diagnose the disease in the children.
Secretary Health Punjab Jawad Rafique Malik asked for establishing a core group consisting on medical experts, health managers and international partners for the treatment and control of Tuberculosis. He assured that the government would provide dedicated staff and financial resources for this purpose. He further said that eradication of diseases and development of health sector is the passion of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
He said that all stakeholders should actively participate in TB eradication activities with the spirit of national cause and humanitarian services.
He assured that government would provide all financial resources and dedicated staff for this programme.
Professor Kamran Cheema said that Punjab TB DOTS Programme is running satisfactorily in Punjab. He said that treatment of drug resistant TB patients is very difficult and the percentage of cure is less than the routine patients. He said that TB patients should complete their treatment course of six months without pause to rid of this disease.
National Co-ordinator of Federal TB Control Programme Dr Ijaz Qadeer said that maximum financial burden of TB Control activities in Pakistan is met by International Development Partners.
He said, "We should adopt a policy to provide all funding for TB Control Programme."
"Health development is on priority list in Punjab and a lot of efforts are being done to control TB in Punjab but some provinces did not even purchase a single TB medicine during the last 10 years," he added.
He said that International Global Partners are helping us because "TB anywhere, TB everywhere" principle is very famous in the world. He said that search of missing TB patients is very important as one patient can affect 15 other persons around him.
DG Health Dr Zahid Pervaiz said that a lot of efforts have been made at federal and provincial levels but data of TB patients indicates that lot of work has to be done.
He said that search and diagnosis of TB patients will be included in the Mobile Health Units Programme. He stressed the need to hold stock taking meeting after every three months to implement Active Case Finding Strategy.
It may be noted that tuberculosis remains one of the biggest health problems of developing countries with a significant population being affected by this infectious and debilitating disease. Over nine million new cases are reported annually world-wide, with a mortality rate of 15,00,000 each year. In Pakistan, more than 500,000 patients are diagnosed with TB last year.
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