Nagaland: Private Doctors play important role on TB treatment

•     48.2% people seek health care in private sector•     Dimapur records highest number of TB cases in NagalandMorung Express NewsDimapur | October 23 Dimapur has the highest number of tuberculosis (TB) cases in Nagaland, which is a cause for concern, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr T Yetovi Tuccu said.He was speaking at a sensitisation programme of updates on TB under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) for private practitioners, held this evening, at Hotel Grand Vista.Dr Tuccu said TB was one of the oldest communicable diseases known to humanity. Despite medical advancements, it continues to pose a public health threat. He noted that the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine was first used in 1921, but TB remains one of the most common infectious diseases.Dr Tuccu highlighted malnutrition and diabetes as contributing factors to the TB burden and said Nagaland continued to report a significant number of cases, with Dimapur recording the highest number. With most patients from other districts coming to Dimapur for treatment, he noted it might be the factor for the high number. Emphasising coordination between private practitioners and the public health sector, Dr Tuccu said private doctors played an important role as many patients sought treatment from them. He urged practitioners to adhere to government-prescribed treatment guidelines, cautioning that deviations could have consequences.He stressed the importance of counselling patients, particularly those from low socio-economic backgrounds who may face difficulties with follow-up visits, diagnosis and access to medicines. He said some patients discontinue treatment after experiencing relief, which can lead to relapse and drug-resistant TB.Dr Tuccu urged private practitioners to refer such patients to government health facilities, where they could access free diagnostic services and treatment, as well as government assistance for nutritional support. He stressed that all diagnosed patients must complete the full course of treatment.He acknowledged the participation of doctors from various private hospitals at the programme.Meanwhile, State TB Officer Dr Akum Jamir spoke on the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan strategy and the evolution of India's TB elimination programme. He highlighted the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of ending the TB epidemic by 2030.He said the strategy aims to identify missing TB cases, prevent and reduce TB-related deaths, and prevent new cases through public participation under the Jan Bhagidari approach.Dr Jamir identified people aged 60 and above, along with those affected by malnourishment and diabetes, smokers and alcohol users, as vulnerable groups. He highlighted the association between TB and malnutrition, noting the government's Poshan Abhiyaan initiative to address nutritional challenges.Calling for efforts at the grassroots level, he said the intensified initiative, which began this year, would continue until the goal of TB elimination was achieved. He added that teams would travel across Nagaland's 56 blocks to strengthen outreach.Speaking on the recent updates in the management of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), Dr Collins Z Sono, Medical Consultant, WHO, highlighted India’s significant burden of tuberculosis infection (TBI), with an estimated 35–40 crore people infected and approximately 28 lakh developing TB disease annually.Citing the National TB Prevalence Survey 2019–21, he noted that the prevalence of TB infection among people aged above 15 years was 31.3%.He mentioned Nagaland’s diagnostic infrastructure, which presently has 53 designated centres. India and Nagaland continue to face challenges in reducing TB cases and deaths, with progress remaining below the targets set under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The SDG targets call for a 90% reduction in TB deaths and an 80% reduction in TB incidence by 2030.According to estimates reported by the Government of India, the country recorded a 25% reduction in TB mortality and a 21% reduction in TB incidence between 2015 and 2024.In Nagaland, TB mortality declined by 18%, while TB incidence fell by 19% over the same period, indicating that the state, too, has considerable ground to cover to meet the global targets. Dr Sono also updated on the new regimen for TB preventive therapy. State Public-Private Mix (PPM) coordinator NTEP Temjenochetla Ao addressing on partnership for TB care remarked that 48.2% people in the state seek health care in the private sector with 67% clinically diagnosed cases among private sector patients and 33% were offered Universal Drug Susceptibility Testing (UDST) within 15 days.She also said the median cost incurred by patients currently taking treatment from private sector was INR 20,000.During the event, Dr DR Sharma, IMA President gave a response on behalf of the private practitioners, while Dr Mlato Shikhu, District TB officer, Dimapur delivered the vote of thanks.