Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

TN offering best medical facilities: Minister

Staff Reporter

Government will take steps to spend more for healthcare, says Transport Minister

TIRUCHI: The State offered one of the best medical facilities and the Government will take steps to improve the annual spending for healthcare, the Transport Minister, K. N. Nehru, said.

Inaugurating the District Tuberculosis Prevention Centre's special exhibition and a free medical camp to mark the World Tuberculosis Day, Mr. Nehru said the Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course (DOTS) effectively controlled the disease as it reached out for people from villages who otherwise would drop out from the course of treatment due to inaccessibility of medicines.

The State Government had spent over 2,000 crore for Social Welfare Department during the last regime and planned to increase the spending for healthcare in subsequent budgets. He urged the people to take preventive measures rather than seeking medical advice after the onset of the disease.

Presiding over the function, the District Collector, Ashish Vacchani said that the Revised TB Control Programme, started in 2000, had invited the participation of non-governmental organisations to fight against the disease. Integrated surveillance mechanism was successfully brought out and drugs with generic combination were introduced to fight the deadly combination of TB and AIDS.

In his special address, the Forest Minister, N. Selvaraj, pointed out that under the Revised TB Control Programme, 25,000 people were cured and treated in the district and currently about 4,000 were undergoing treatment. Pollution and smoking were the prime factors for the increase in tuberculosis cases in congested areas. Unlike earlier days, the treatment for TB has been relatively fast and sustainable and government encouraged private participation to fight against the disease.

Mayor Sarubala T. Tondaiman and Deputy Director of Tuberculosis Control Board, B. Abdul Samad, spoke.

Earlier, disc containing short film on Tuberculosis, `Inaintha Kaigal,' featuring actor Surya was released by Mr. Nehru and Mr. Vacchani received it. Mr. Nehru inaugurated the special exhibition displaying posters on the types of tuberculosis, ways to prevent and the necessary six-month treatment course for the patients.

At the medical camp put up alongside the expo, medicos conducted TB tests and distributed free medicines to the patients.

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