Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 9: The State Task Force Committee meeting of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP) took place today at CD Hospital, GMC Srinagar, under the chairmanship of Prof. (Dr) Naveed Nazir Shah.
The committee members gathered both in-person and virtually to discuss the progress and challenges faced by the NTEP in the region.
During the meeting, the attendees engaged in a comprehensive discussion on various aspects of the NTEP activities.
Key topics included the need for upgrading and installing diagnostic tools such as CBNAAT and TRUENAAT in medical colleges, allocating staff to newly established medical colleges, emphasizing case-finding notification among private practitioners, conducting regular sensitization and training programs for medical and paramedical staff across all medical colleges.
Prof. (Dr) Naveed stressed the importance of quarterly core committee meetings of the NTEP in all medical colleges. He also urged the nodal officers of medical colleges to designate a DRTB (Drug-resistant Tuberculosis) ward within their respective institutions.
The meeting witnessed the presence of esteemed individuals both physically and virtually.
In attendance were Prof. Dr S. Muhammad Salim Khan, Head of Department of Community Medicine at GMC Srinagar and Chairman of the Operational Research Committee (NTEP); HODs of Community Medicine and Chest Medicine from GMC Baramulla; the District Tuberculosis Officer (DTO) of Baramulla; and members of the Pulmonary Medicine department at GMC Srinagar.
Among the virtual participants were Prof. (Dr) Ashok Bhardwaj, Chairman of the National Task Force Committee (NTEP); Prof. (Dr) Surya Kant, Chairman of the Zonal Task Force for the North Zone (NTEP); Prof. Dr Rahul Gupta, Vice Chairman of the State Task Force Committee; State TB Officers from both the Jammu and Kashmir divisions; and nodal officers and members from SKIMS Soura, Government Medical College Jammu, Rajouri, Doda, Kathua, Anantnag, ASCOMS, DTO Jammu, DTO Anantnag, and DTO Srinagar.
During the meeting, representatives from each medical college in Jammu and Kashmir presented their respective reports on the performance of the NTEP.
Prof. (Dr) Ashok Bhardwaj announced that the zonal task force committee meeting of the NTEP would be held in Kashmir in June 2023.
Prof. Dr Salim Khan encouraged all medical teachers in Kashmir to submit research proposals on Tuberculosis, assuring them that grants would be provided for their research work.
It is noteworthy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a deadline to eliminate TB from the country by 2025, five years ahead of the global target. Moreover, three TB districts in Kashmir have already been declared TB-free.
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