Shimla: Department of Posts will help the state Health Department to speed up the investigation of sputum of patients for Tuberculosis.
Mission Director, National Health Mission, Dr. Nipun Jindal informed on Sunday, that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the National Health Mission and the Department of Posts in this regard.
Dr. Jindal said that now the sputum samples for investigation of Tuberculosis shall be submitted by the health staff to the nearest Post office, well packed as per the Biomedical Protocol and delivered to the intended lab within the stipulated time. Earlier samples transport from designated microscopic centers to molecular testing sites and drug susceptibility testing sites was being performed through human couriers who be local Asha, any other community worker or hospital working staff.
Dr. Nipun Jindal hoped that this shall be a major milestone for timely and streamlined delivery of the sputum samples especially keeping in view the anticipated increase during the ongoing active case finding campaign ‘Him Suraksha’
Since, diagnosis of Tuberculosis is paramount for notification, treatment and breaking the chain of transmission, the State has also expanded the diagnostic net with operationalisation of ten designated microscopic centres in the Ayurvedic institutions of the State and four Designated Microscopic Centers in various jails across the State in the last six months, in addition to 218 Microscopic Centers are already functional.
