‘One TB patient can transfer disease to 16 people’

LAHORE

Tuberculosis is curable now and timely diagnosis and complete medication can ward off the disease. 

It is a contagious disease and can be transferred from one person to others easily.  It can be diagnosed at TB centres everywhere in Pakistan and the government of Punjab has taken effective measures for it.

These views were expressed by experts at a seminar on “First TB Health and Sports Festival for World TB Day 2017,” jointly organised by TB Control Programme and the Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society (Jang Group of Newspapers) at Kinnaird College Lahore. 

The chief guest, Dr Rukhsana David, Principal Kinnaird College Lahore, Dr Zarfashan Tahir, Director TB Control Programme Punjab, Jang health, education and current affairs senior editor Wasif Nagi,  Zubair Ahmad, Manager Partnership TB Control Programme Islamabad, Dr Ahmad Nadeem, Additional Director TB Control Programme Lahore, Raees Ansari, bureau chief of Geo Lahore, and others participated in the event.  

Dr Rukhsana David, Principal Kinnaird College Lahore, thanked the participants. She said the college girls had received valuable information about the disease.  Dr Zarfashan Tahir, Director TB Control Programme Punjab, said  the purpose of observing TB Day was to create awareness among the masses of the disease. She said that treatment of TB was free everywhere in the province. "Symptoms of TB are coughing that lasts three or more weeks, chest pain, or pain with breathing or coughing, night sweats and loss of appetite. She said the disease is completely curable after proper medication.  

Dr Ahmad Nadeem, Additional Director TB Control Programme Lahore, said one patient of TB could transfer the disease to 16 people. "If TB is diagnosed in one person, the whole family should go for TB tests," he added. 

Jang health, education and current affairs senior editor Wasif Nagi, thanked Dr Rukhsana and said the informative and fruitful program was not possible without her cooperation.