Question : TUBERCULOSIS TEST AND DRUGS

(a) whether the Government is promoting and planning to install the new GeneXpert test to improve tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in the country and, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has evaluated the performance of the said test on tuberculosis patients in the country, if so, the details and the outcome thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the said GeneXpert test has been found wanting in certain turberculosis cases in a study carried at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the corrective measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard; and

(e) whether there is shortage in supply of drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis in certain parts of the country, if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor and the corrective measures being taken by the Government in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

(a): Diagnosis of Drug Resistant TB under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) through approved diagnostic technologies like the Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT) like GeneXpert test, is being done under the RNTCP.

(b): While no evaluation study has been done by the Government, preliminary findings on the use of GeneXpert machine have demonstrated higher sensitivity and specificity of the test in comparison to conventional TB diagnosis through sputum smear microscopy. The testing through GeneXpert yields result within two hours.

(c) & (d): A study regarding GeneXpert test was conducted in the Department of Laboratory Medicine of AIIMS. However, due to technical flaws in study design and in methodology, the inferences drawn from the study were not found to be of consequence.

(e): No. As on date, sufficient quantity of Anti TB drugs under RNTCP is available in the country.