New Delhi, 01 July (H.S.): Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda on Wednesday chaired a review meeting with the Delhi government to assess the progress of the TB-Free India campaign and preparedness measures to tackle dengue. The meeting reviewed the progress of the tuberculosis elimination programme, with a focus on the timely identification of patients, treatment and support mechanisms.

In view of the ongoing monsoon season, the meeting also held detailed discussions on dengue prevention and preparedness.

The review focused on the readiness of healthcare services, the availability of essential resources in hospitals, mosquito control measures, surveillance systems and ways to strengthen public awareness campaigns.

Nadda directed the concerned officials to ensure close coordination among all departments to accelerate the TB elimination campaign and effectively control seasonal diseases such as dengue.

He stressed the need to further strengthen the TB-Free India campaign through greater public participation. During the meeting, Nadda said that all information and messages related to the campaign should be disseminated in simple and easily understandable language to ensure wider public outreach. He also directed that elected representatives be actively associated with the campaign to reinforce community-level participation.

Referring to the guidance provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a recent PRAGATI review meeting, Nadda also emphasised ensuring greater participation of MY Bharat volunteers to further strengthen the campaign at the grassroots level.

He further instructed that each municipal ward should be monitored by senior government officials to ensure effective supervision and implementation of the campaign.

To strengthen the early detection of tuberculosis, Nadda said the government would support the wider availability of artificial intelligence-enabled handheld X-ray machines to improve timely diagnosis and case detection.

Highlighting the important role of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), he directed officials to clearly define their responsibilities and expectations to ensure effective community participation in both the TB-Free India campaign and dengue prevention efforts.

The meeting also reviewed the Delhi government's preparedness to tackle dengue, with special emphasis on coordinated action, effective surveillance, public awareness and timely preventive measures.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar