TB deadlier than Covid-19 in Gujarat; killed 2,675 in 5 months

Ahmedabad: Recording 2,675 Tuberculosis (TB) in Gujarat between January to May 2022, the disease has been proved deadlier than Covid-19 in the state, IANS reported.

In the country, 825 people died of Covid-19, while 68,718 died out of TB during the mentioned period.

However, there has been a sudden spike in the reported Covid-19 cases in Gujarat, with 1,128 people testing positive for the disease in 24 hours. When 3 people died from the virus in one day, 400 recovered from the illness on Saturday. And the Covid-19 recovery rate in the state came down to 98.63 per cent.

The Union government informed Lok Sabha that 18.05 lakh people were infected with TB in 2020 and around 21.35 lakh in 2021 across the country under the TB elimination programme.

In Gujarat, an average of 13,000 people are suffering from TB every month.

Among the states which have the highest number of deaths due to TB between January-May 2022, Uttar Pradesh is at the top with 6,896, Maharashtra is second with 2845, while Gujarat is third.

From 2018 to May 2022, more than 6.47 lakh people have contracted TB in Gujarat.

It was decided in the meeting held at Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's Health and Solid Waste Management Committee that most of the preliminary tests can now be done in all 90 urban health centres and 11 community health centres managed by AMC.

The blood test of a patient and tests, including dengue, chikungunya, typhoid and diarrhoea, can be done free of cost.

The machines have been made operational at urban health centres and community health centres at the cost of more than Rs two crore. Apart from this, sonography machines have also been placed at all community health centres.

Bharat Patel, Chairman of the Health and Solid Waste Management Committee, said that machines for various tests should be installed in all urban health centres. After discussing with the officials of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, the machines for each test were ordered, for which all the procedures have now been completed, and the machines for detecting fever, dengue, typhoid, chikungunya etc. have been placed into operation at all urban health centres and community health centres.

Epidemics usually increase during monsoons. In various areas and slums, the incidence of diseases is increasing, so free mega medical camps are organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

During this year, it was decided that a total of 20 free mega medical camps will be conducted in different areas of the city by the city Municipal Corporation.

This mega medical camp will be started after August 10, for which an announcement will be made by the Municipal Corporation. Free medicine and treatment will be given to the patients coming to these medical camps.