Mumbai: BMC to make city tuberculosis free by 2025

Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar with the booklet titled 'TB Free Mumbai' plan, which focuses on making Mumbai tuberculosis free by 2025

In order to tackle tuberculosis in the city and make Mumbai free of tuberculosis by 2025, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will soon start giving out the preventive TB vaccine at the Sewri TB Hospital. As part of their future road map, the BMC's health workers will also be tested for detection and treatment of latent TB infection (LTBI) in a few wards of the city on a pilot basis.

On Wednesday, Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar released the booklet titled 'TB Free Mumbai' plan. Padmaja Keskar, Executive Health Officer said that the plan is a manual for technical guidance for the health workers on the ground. Keskar said that the treatment of LTBI patients is for family members who live close to TB patients and are susceptible to infection.

Also Read: Mumbai: Rs 500 per month from central govt not enough to fight TB

"We can prevent the infection from spreading by treating it early. We will start detection and treatment in a few wards on a pilot basis first", she said. She further added that the BMC will start giving out preventive vaccines at the Sewri Hospital in the coming two months.

BMC will start giving out the preventive TB vaccine at the Sewri TB Hospital

The TB Free Mumbai plan also focuses on workplace policies and programs, community awareness and up-gradation of the Sewri Hospital and Centre of Excellence at Sewri Hospital. Among other initiatives, the BMC has signed an MOU with Hinduja Hospital for starting drug-resistant TB services for free for out-patients to private sector patients.

In the public and private sector, there are nearly 46,513 drug-resistant, 4969 multi-drug resistant and 526 extreme drug-resistant TB patients in 2018. Civic officials said that this is a result of the increase in diagnostic facilities, notifying patients of the private sector and free treatment being offered to all patients.

Also Read: BMC does not have data on TB patients from private hospitals

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