One of India’s most significant public health missions—the fight against tuberculosis, with particular reference to the state of Maharashtra was the subject of discussion on ITV Gold, the 24-hour television channel which is part of Parikh Worldwide Media.
Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of PWM, and President of the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, GAPIO, and Sanjay Shripatrao Katkar, IAS, Commissioner of Health Services and Mission Director, National Health Mission, Maharashtra, spearheading the tuberculosis public health initiative – sealed their commitment to cooperate to end the dreaded disease.
India has made significant progress through the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), with strengthened screening, free diagnosis and treatment, digital patient tracking through the Ni-kshay Mitra Initiative, and an ambitious goal of eliminating TB hopefully by 2030.
According to India’s Ministry of Health, “India’s ambitious journey toward TB Mukt Bharat reflects not only our remarkable progress in public health but also our extraordinary capacity to galvanize a whole-of-society response. The Ni-kshay Mitra Initiative, launched in September 2022 under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, embodies this transformative vision for uniting citizens, institutions, civil society, and frontline workers in a compassionate alliance to deliver person-centered, holistic care to those affected by tuberculosis. This transformative approach mobilizing society at large to provide dignified, person-centered and holistic support to individuals affected by tuberculosis.”
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Padma Shri recipient Dr. Parikh, a physician, philanthropist, and prominent Indian American who has worked to strengthen health initiatives in both India and the United States, and US-India relations, offered help through GAPIO which represents some 1.4 million Indian doctors in more than 60 countries. “Tell us what we can do for India (and Maharashtra) as far as prevention of tuberculosis is concerned,” Dr. Parikh questioned.
Katkar thanked Dr. Parikh for offering GAPIO’s help, and noted that “This social disease is fundamentally caused by various reasons – poverty, nutrition, crowded populations.”
“We have a four-pronged approach – detect, treat, prevent, and build. The moment we detect the patients we are going to treat them,” Katkar, said, and GAPIO would be helpful in all those aspects.
“We are ready to build partnership” Katkar asserted. He noted the progress India has made over the last 9 years, bringing down the incidence rate from 210 per lakh of the population to 163.
The “TB Mukt Bharat” mission is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and carried out in Maharashtra by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Katkar noted.
From GAPIO, he said, “We are expecting some good intervention, technology, efficiency, medications and treatment. We are definitely going to take this support.”
Considerable progress to eliminate TB by 2030, had been accomplished and the success ratio has risen from 83 percent to 91 percent, Katkar maintained. Till date, 12,000 gram panchayats had been declared as TB Mukt out of some 28,000.
“We are committed to achieve the 100 percent goal.”
Asked by program host Piya Jyoti Kachroo how the TB program was making sure the treatment reaches all the diverse places in Maharashtra, Katkar said, from his personal experience, he was aware of how hard it is for patients whose own families banish them from home for fear of spreading the infection. “It opened my eyes to how dangerously communities treat TB patients. So in tribal areas and differently located villages, we send our workers and our X ray machines to detect. We have an ambitious plan to screen all villages, and all suspicious patients. We already have digital technology in place to follow the patient.”
Dr. Parikh recalled how even as far back as the early 1960s tuberculosis was a priority as it was rampant. “And we still have 163 per Lakh cases in the population, which shows lot of work needs to be done.” GAPIO members, he said are “very willing” to help Maharashtra in every way to reach the goal of 42 per lakh which was the normal rate.
“I would like to offer a CME on zoom meetings for GAPIO physicians to address the issue. And for distribution of educational materials, and how to prevent crowded conditions, and how to manage the patients. And how to prevent catching the infection. It is very easy to catch if living area is crowded, and from the lack of education,” Dr. Parikh said, but this disease is curable once you start treatment, he emphasized.
“So I would offer our services to Govt. of Maharashtra and for Commissioner to let us know what we can do. From time to time some of those 1.4 million doctors abroad are visiting India and can help on some basis. So please let us know how you would like to utilize our doctors. We also want to think about telemedicine for the rural areas where the workers are visiting the families, and we can through telemedicine prescribe the medicines.”
For patients to stay in touch with those giving the care is hard, Katkar noted. “The difficulty in this disease is there is heavy medication, and most times the patient gets tired of taking the medicine and it takes too long, and he has to go through this process alone.” That is where the Ni-kshay portal helps by being able to track the patient to help the person treat themselves correctly.
Katkar also noted that GAPIO has a record of doing “commendable work in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.”
“I came to know his (Dr. Parikh’s) strong commitment to help, and we will take his help and of members of this association. And last but not least to enhance and uplift this campaign. I am seriously thining of developing a portal for nutritional foods, so that donors can see the patient and the supplier.
So technological development is also required. Detecting, treating and tracking is essential and GAPIO will definitely support our efforts.
Dr. Parikh said, “I would like to offer our services to our motherland, and not only virtually, but whenever our members visit India, they would also go to Maharashtra and also to the villages, and help. Plus, since we are in a different country, we can also update our contemporaries back home, on the development and research on tuberculosis treatment. And also to use our media. This gives us an opportunity. Let’s work together, and let us be part of serving mother India.”
Dr. Parikh emphasized, that “All these Indian physicians are anxious to help and we are ready to do it. India should be free of tuberculosis in the near future.”
In conclusion, Katkar said he “very warmly welcome the offer and the commitment Dr. Sudhir Parikh has given to citizens of India, and citizens of Maharashtra in particular, and I know this org has done good work in some states. We look forward to this progressive and