It is not only the Covid 19 infection that worries all. Tuberculosis is not any far behind but in this hard time of Covid 19 infection one only thinks of this pandemic sadly  overlooking the cases of the TB which needs to be corrected to contain high incidence of TB in the State.

District tuberculosis officer Palamu Dr SKP Yadav said the lockdown situation, cases of Covid 19, a big cry for the medical oxygen etc in the past months have certainly kept the individuals with symptoms of TB to fight it indoors by them taking medical advices from their known and familiar medical sources but we are determined to reach such people for their medication.

A recent household survey conducted here for Covid-19 symptoms wherein the health surveyors noted down even the number of people showing symptoms of TB, diabetes, Bp and cardiac problem etc in Palamu found cases of TB in almost all the areas falling under the ten community health centres in this district.

A preliminary report found 473 active cases of TB in this district in May month which sources said may later increase further.

If urban Daltonganj ( Medininagar) was found to have 03 cases of TB in the household survey Harihurganj had 94 cases of TB the highest in the 10 community health centres. Paton community health centre comes second with 71 cases of TB.

Civil surgeon Palamu Anil Kumar  Srivastav said we need the co-operation of our individuals detected as TB cases.  They must take medicines to avoid drug resistance to it, he cautioned.  He said our sahiyas/ ANMs etc visit such individuals and make them take medicines right before them.

Sources said the Director of the  Jharkhand State Tuberculosis Detection Centre Ranchi Dr A Mitra has directed the district tuberculosis officers across the state to strengthen the TB units in the community health centres with True Nat machines each.

Yadav said the True Nat machine which is seen as the Covid 19 infection detection machine is equally good and suitable for detecting TB which is to be kept now in each of the community health centre’s  TB unit for detecting individuals with any symptoms of the TB and their subsequent treatment.