The Governor of Nagaland La Ganesan has emphasized the need for more publicity and awareness programs in order to encourage Ni-kshay Mitras or donors of nutritional baskets to TB Patients. He was speaking at a program held today at Dr Imkongliba Ao Hall, Raj Bhavan, Kohima where nutritional kits were distributed to TB Patients as a part of the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.
The Governor said that India has the world’s highest tuberculosis (TB), with an estimated 26 lakh people contracting the disease and approximately 4 lakh people dying from the disease every year. He stated that the economic effect of TB in terms of loss of lives, income and workdays is also substantial. Informing the people that TB usually affects the most economically productive age group of society resulting in a significant loss of working days and pushing TB patients further into the vortex of poverty.
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The Nagaland Governor mentioned that Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan was launched by the Hon’ble President of India Droupadi Murmu on 9 September 2022.He emphasized that PMTBMBA is primarily driven by the office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji with the vision and the ambitious goal to eliminate TB by 2025 which is 5 years ahead of the global target set by the United Nation under its Sustainable Development Goals.
The Governor said challenge of TB requires a multi-sectoral response to address the social determinants like nutritional support, living and working conditions, and an increase in access to diagnostic and treatment services. He further said that the efforts of the government are yielding significant results and that the community and the institutions in society can play a critical role in filling gaps and addressing social determinants, thereby contributing in the paths towards ending TB in India. The MoHFW is implementing the “Community Support to TB patients-Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan by welcoming citizens to come forward as a Ni-kshay Mitra or donor, he added.
The Ni-kshay Mitra program include co-operative societies, corporate, elected representatives, individuals, institutions, non- governmental organizations, political parties and partners who can support by adopting health facilities or patients for accelerating response against TB to complement government efforts.
The Governor who himself had registered as a Ni-kshay expressed his happiness that his officers and staff of Raj Bhavan have also come forward to register themselves as Ni-kshay Mitras. He emphasized the need for more publicity and awareness programmes in order to encourage more Ni-kshay Mitras in future. He called upon the department as well as the TB cells spread across the districts in Nagaland to be more proactive and help achieve the National target.
The Governor also distributed nutritional supplements basket to the patients.
Rajesh Soundararajan, Secretary to the Governor, who gave delivered welcome address said that this programme is not only about the nutritional supplements being handed over to the beneficiaries, rather it s being held at the behest of the governor in order to create more awareness about the programme and also to encouraged citizens to come forward as Ni-kshay Mitras or Donors. The secretary also disclosed that the officers and staffs of the Governor will also be sponsoring beneficiaries and altogether 17 Ni-kshay Mitras from Raj Bhavan, Kohima have come forward to support this program along with the Hon’ble Governor of Nagaland.
District TB Officer, Kohima Dr Chiben Kithan in his opening remarks said that PMTBMBA Kohima was launched on 19th September 2022. He highlighted the objectives and said that the involvement of the community in supporting the programme will boost the efforts for reduction of the stigma. He also acknowledged the Governor for his participation and support towards the TB eliminate programme in Nagaland.
