Jammu- Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday called for a ramp-up in tuberculosis testing and stronger community-based support systems to achieve the goal of eliminating TB in the Union Territory.

Chairing a high-level review meeting on the implementation and progress of the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, the Lieutenant Governor reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to the national target of tuberculosis elimination.

He emphasised the need for detailed analysis of TB cases and treatment outcomes, and stressed seamless inter-departmental coordination to ensure that no patient is left behind. The Lieutenant Governor directed the Health Department and district administrations to scale up testing and prioritise the mapping of vulnerable populations.

Highlighting the importance of public awareness, he also called for intensifying door-to-door Information, Education and Communication campaigns to educate people about TB symptoms, diagnosis, and the availability of free treatment.

District administrations were instructed to adopt best practices to accelerate progress towards TB Mukt Jammu and Kashmir and TB Mukt Bharat.

The meeting reviewed district-wise data on treatment outcomes, presumptive TB testing rates, TB case notifications, drug-resistant TB cases, and the implementation of key initiatives such as the Nikshay Poshan Yojana and the Ni-kshay Mitra programme. The saturation of Ayushman Bharat Golden Cards, with special focus on covering all TB patients, incentivisation of ASHA workers, and the “One Patient-One Ni-kshay Mitra” model were also discussed.

Officials informed the meeting that Jammu and Kashmir has achieved 99 percent coverage of vulnerable populations, covering 28,62,686 individuals.

Secretary, Health and Medical Education Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah presented a detailed overview of the Union Territory’s performance under the National TB Elimination Programme and submitted an action taken report on directives issued during the previous review.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor Mandeep K. Bhandari, Mission Director NHM J&K Baseer Ul Haq Chaudhary, Deputy Commissioners, heads of medical and health institutions, and other senior officials.