Help eradicate TB, people urged

World Tuberculosis Day observed Kakinada: Voluntary organisations and people along with the government should strive hard to prevent tuberculosis, East Godavari District Collector Neetu Kumari Prasad said. She was the chief guest at a function on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day at the local Government General Hospital. She flagged off a rally by nursing students that started at the hospital and ended at Bala Cheruvu. Tuberculosis should be eradicated through a campaign like that of pulse polio drive, she said. She said that medicines for tuberculosis are available at all government hospitals and other medical centres. The medicines are distributed free of cost, she said. The patients should be examined and they should be made to take the medicines regularly, she said. The patients generally have symptoms of fever in the evenings, loss of appetite and weight, chest pain and show of blood in the sputum while coughing. They should be referred to the nearest Government Hospital, tests should be conducted and medical aid should be extended, she said. DMHO Dr Padmavathi, Additional DMHO Dr M Pavan Kumar, District TB Prevention Officer Dr Prasanna Kumar, Government Hospital Superintendent Dr Raghavendra Rao and others participated.

Free medicines to patients Srikakulam: Everyone should strive to prevent tuberculosis, said District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Geetanjali. She flagged off a rally here on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day on Sunday. The rally began at the DMHO office and traversed the city up to Seven Roads Junction. Addressing a public meeting, the DMHO said tuberculosis is a life-threatening disease. Free medicines would be distributed to the patients under the National Tuberculosis Prevention Programme. She said the disease was caused due to micro bacteria tuberculosis germs. "If it has to be eradicated from the body, strong and costly medicines have to be used," she said. The government was distributing the medicines free of cost. "Staff in the Primary Health Centre (PHC), ANMs, Health Assistants, Asha workers and 'Arogya Mitrulu' should be appointed. They should register the cases in the OP. Special focus should be on 'Marpu' programmes," she said. Tuberculosis prevention officer S Vasundhara said that the tuberculosis bacteria was discovered by scientist Robert Coach thousands of years ago and his birthday, March 24, is observed as World Tuberculosis Day. Some 3,702 persons in the district were diagnosed as suffering from tuberculosis and medicines would be distributed free of cost through the Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) centres. TB Control secretary Manthani Venkatswamy, Dr Chalamaiah, Dr Ramdev and others participated.