Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 9: Under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, SBI contributed Rs 50 lakhs for National TB Elimination Programme and Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.
The amount contributed under CSR funds was handed over by Dinesh Khara, Chairman, SBI, to Dr Randeep Singh Poonia, Director General, Health Services, Haryana Government.
Speaking on the occasion, Khara said that Community and Institutions in the society can play a critical role in filling gaps and addressing social determinants, thereby contributing to the national goal as per the National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination with the ambitious target to achieve end of TB in India by 2025 ahead of the SDG goal of 2030. TB causes largest number of lives lost due to infectious diseases in India. We have roughly 20% world population but 25% of world TB incidence in India. Hence it is of paramount importance that we eliminate this disease from India he said.
He also said that besides the terrible human and social loss, TB also results in huge economic loss due to man days and productivity lost to the disease. Every year more than 4 lakh people are infected by the disease in our country. As a responsible Corporate citizen, SBI keenly contributes to Government Programmes for providing universal health services and take forward the mission of Swasth Bharat. SBI is making this CSR contribution as Banker to Every Indian to make our country free of TB in the days to come. We have to rise as a Nation to bring down the incidence of TB in our country to zero.
The CSR Fund will be utilised for purchasing CBNAAT Machine for rapid diagnosis of TB and provide nutritional support to TB Patients from 500 economically deficient households for 1 year.
Dr. Hitesh Verma, State TB Officer, Haryana, Dr. Rita Aggarwal , Gaurav Singh, Addl. CEO, Haryana State CSR Trust and Vinod Jaiswal, CGM of SBI Chandigarh Circle were also present during the function.
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