Union Minister Kapil Patil on Sunday said he had adopted 5,000 tuberculosis patients in his Bhiwandi Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra's Thane district as part of the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.
The scheme, launched on September 9, allows individuals, elected representatives and institutions to adopt TB patients and care for them.
"I found out from the health department there are 5,000 TB patients in Kalyan West, Thane Rural, Bhiwandi and Badlapur limits. I have decided to adopt all of them. My intention is to make my Bhiwandi constituency TB-free," he told reporters here.
"The adoption is for six months and the cost would be ₹600 per patient per month. They will be given kits, government medicines. Those who can afford to adopt patients under this scheme should do so to make it a success," he said.
