WHO team briefed on TB control

LAHORE: World Health Organisation (WHO) Mission Delegation Headed by Philippa Easterbrook from Geneva along with members from EMRO Region and local representatives on Monday visited offices of Punjab TB Control Programme (PTP) and attended a meeting in which PTP Provincial Director Dr Zarfishan Tahir and her team briefed the delegation about the steps being taken for controlling, diagnosing and treatment facilities for TB patients in the province.

National Programme Officer (NPO) for Hepatitis Dr Safder Pasha, WHO Lahore rep Dr Irfan, Additional Director PTP Dr Asif, Partnership Operation Manager Zubair Ahmed Shad, Dr Javeria and other officials attended the meeting.

The PTP director informed the delegations the services of Lady Health Workers (LHWs) are also taken for searching the missing tuberculosis patients. During their routine door to door visits, LHWs also observe any family member living with fever or cough for a couple of weeks and they take sputum sample of such persons and send it to the quarter concerned for lab tests, she added.

Dr Zarfishan said this strategy was successful for surfacing the missing TB patients. She said PTP has established Bio Safety Level-III Laboratory (BSL-III) for all complicated tests of TB patients. Moreover, HIV/AIDS test are also being conducted for which Punjab AIDS Control Programme has provided kits and so far more than 80 thousands registered TB patients gone through the tests. She said as per directions of the government all the diagnostic and treatment facilities are being provided to all the TB patients including Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) patients free of cost.