kolkata: The State Health department has issued an order instructing all the medical colleges and the chief medical officer of health (CMoHs) in the districts to conduct screening for tuberculosis among pregnant women and their management.
A recent order issued by the Director of Health Services to the principals of the medical colleges and the CMoHs said that the state is committed to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) by 2025. “A mother’s well being is intimately linked to that of her children. Women of reproductive age group (15-49) bear a significant burden of TB in India and globally. TB among pregnant women can adversely affect the health of the mother, fetus, neonatal, and their children with a wide spectrum of short and long-term implications.
TB may spread from mother to child during pregnancy which in turn disrupts the whole family,” reads the order. Health department has already directed medical colleges in 13 districts including the IPGMER & SSKM Hospital in Kolkata to nominate faculties from the department of community medicine who will carry out activities relating to the verification of claims for sub-national certification (SNC) towards TB free status. The verification of claims will help the government determine the situation of TB in various districts.
Field surveys will be carried out in this regard. In the line of National target, the Bengal government is progressing towards elimination of TB by 2025 and achieve the status ~ TB Mukto Bangla (TB free Bengal). The faculties who will conduct the verification will be selected from various medical colleges. The verification claims will be centrally carried out in various districts by the ICMR in collaboration with WHO and the state governments.
Incidentally, two districts of Bengal were awarded sub-national certification for progress for 2021. East Midnapore including Nandigram Health district was nominated for Gold category award. Other districts which were selected in gold category status were South Dinajpur, Cooch Behar, Bankura. Nadia, Purulia, South 24-Parganas, West Midnapore, Howrah, Hooghly, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Kalimpong, North Dinajpur, North 24-Parganas had obtained award in bronze category award for carrying out significant development towards obtaining the TB free status.