Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha on Tuesday launched a ‘TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan — 100 days campaign’ here, stressing that no tuberculosis patient should be left behind and that detection alone is only half the battle.
Marking World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, Sinha said the nationwide campaign aims to accelerate progress towards the elimination of the disease through intensified, targeted and technology-driven interventions.
He called upon the health department and district administrations to ramp up testing, identify TB-sensitive areas and spread awareness door-to-door, adding that families must be informed that testing and treatment are free and full recovery is possible.
“Awareness will be our most powerful medicine. Detecting TB is only half the battle. Walking beside a patient through the entire course of treatment and recovery is the real challenge. The Ni-Kshay Mitra programme is precisely that answer,” the LG said at the event held at the Convention Centre here.
The campaign, launched nationally by Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, seeks to expand outreach through modern tools and focused interventions.
As part of the 100-day drive, AI-enabled portable X-ray units will take testing to tribal hamlets, migrant camps, urban slums and other high-risk areas. Mobile Ni-Kshay vans will provide on-the-spot care, while Ayushman health camps will offer chest X-rays, NAAT tests, and screenings for blood sugar, haemoglobin, blood pressure and body mass index.
Sinha urged all stakeholders to make Jammu and Kashmir not just a participant but a leader in the national effort.
“It is our resolve to transform this campaign into a people’s movement in Jammu and Kashmir. It must be more focused and deeply rooted in communities across the Union territory,” he said.
Emphasising that public health is a shared responsibility, the LG said health teams and community members must work together to reach the last person, detect every case and support patients until full recovery.
“Our pledge for a TB-free Jammu and Kashmir rests on this conviction,” he said.
Sinha also directed authorities to involve self-help groups, students, schools, industries, NGOs and public sector enterprises to amplify the campaign. He called for a comprehensive review of testing equipment and medicine availability and suggested a dedicated portal for citizens to report related grievances.
“Today, we pledge that no man, woman or child in Jammu and Kashmir will lose their future to TB. No case will go unnoticed and no patient will be unsupported,” he said.
During the programme, Sinha also flagged off Ni-Kshay vehicles, distributed nutrition kits to patients and presented awards to Doda and Srinagar districts for achieving TB Mukt Panchayat targets.
