According to the Global TB Report of 2017, the estimated incidence of TB in India is 28 lakhs which is about a quarter of all the TB cases in the world . In this regard, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Joint Secretary RNTCP directed every state to extend TB diagnostic services to all Primary health centers (PHCs). The initiative is in place for achieving ambitious TB eradication plan by 2025 which is 5 years before WHO’s plan. According to letter under Revised National TB control programme, there are more than 14,000 Designated Microscopy Centres (DMCs).
Out of 26,650 PHCs (as on March 31, 2017) most do not offer sputum smear microscopy service. So, the sample is sent to the nearest DMC facility for examination which leads to significant loss of presumptive TB cases. Firstly, states are directed to locate all non-DMC PHCs and designate them as microscopy centers,…
