Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether his Ministry has collaborated with Coal India to address tuberculosis as part of CSR in mines which is a public health issue;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether his Ministry proposes to replicate TB intervention programmes in prisons across States/UTs in the country, if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government to address TB in mines, prisons and in difficult terrain areas?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a) & (b): Mining population has been identified as one of the vulnerable population under the programme and facilities of prevention, diagnosis and treatment is being provided to them through the local State Governments. Active Case Finding (ACF) activities are also being conducted at regular intervals in the mining areas.
Efforts are ongoing at the local level to collaborate with Coal India. In Odisha, Letter of Intent have been signed between the District TB Cell of 2 districts (Jharsuguda and Angul) and Coal India, as part of which Coal India conducts screening, diagnosis and management for TB and distributes Information Education Communication (IEC) material through their health facilities.
Designated Microscopy Centres (DMCs) and Sputum Collection Centres of the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) are situated in health facilities supported by Coal India in 5 districts of Jharkhand (Dhanbad, Purbi Singhbhum, Hazaribagh, Bokaro, Ramgarh) and Pashchim Bardhaman district of West Bengal as well.
(c): Guidelines for HIV and TB interventions in Prisons were launched on 24th March 2019 and State/UTs have been directed to establish TB testing and treatment facilities in the prisons.
(d): In addition to setting up diagnostic and treatment centres, the government also conducts Active Case Finding (ACF) in populations which are vulnerable to TB.
In 2019, through ACF, 1.4 crores people were screened for tuberculosis symptoms in difficult to reach places, out of which 5842 TB patients were diagnosed.
Another 3.6 lakhs mine workers were screened for TB symptoms out of which 130 patients were diagnosed with TB, and 1.1 lakh prison inmates were screened for TB out of which 65 patients were diagnosed with TB.