Health Minister V. Rajini and Health Commissioner J. Nivas took part in the virtual launch of the ‘Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’ by President Droupadi Murmu on Friday.
They attended the programme from the department headquarters in Mangalagiri.
Ms. Murmu also launched the ‘Nikshay Mitra’, an initiative that forms a vital component of the drive and provides a platform for the donors to extend support to those undergoing treatment, a press release said.
Under the initiative, a mechanism is developed to enable the elected representatives, NGOs, individuals, institutions (public & private) and partners to support the efforts to eradicate TB.
“The support to the patients is extended through adoption of blocks / urban wards / districts / individual patients, or groups of patients, and the donors will be called Nikshay Mitras,” the release added.
The Central government also enabled the online digital consent in the ‘Nikshay’ website through which the patients who agree to disclose their identity could update their consent for availing of the support.
All the district-level staff had been trained virtually in updating the consent forms. As on date, 37,043 (83%) patients out of a total of 44,356 undergoing treatment registered their consent in Andhra Pradesh.
