The district had reported 13,235 fresh tuberculosis (TB) cases in 2025, a noticeable increase from the 12,000 cases recorded in 2024. While the Health Department is urging patients to seek timely treatment, many are struggling without the promised financial aid under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, which provides Rs 1,000 per month for nutrition support. Funds have not been released since March 2025, leaving thousands of patients in distress. District TB officer Dr Ashish Chawla said the rise in cases was partly due to intensified detection efforts. “We have introduced a new handheld device that can diagnose TB in less than one hour without a laboratory. Special drives were conducted in factories and several new cases were identified, particularly among migrant workers,” he said. However, Dr Chawla admitted that patients have not received nutrition funds since the start of the financial year. “The scheme is jointly run with a 60:40 Centre-state split. As funds have not been released, we are taking help from NGOs to provide high-protein kits with pulses, eggs and bananas. Recovery depends on both medicine and food and we are trying to ensure no patient drops out of treatment,” he added.
Published: February 22, 2026 4:39 pm
Source: Tribune India — Read original