The Indian Medical Association (IMA), a national voluntary organization of Doctors of the modern scientific system of medicine, have announced various initiatives to achieve the Government of India’s vision to ‘End TB’ as part of a joint collaboration with the Central TB Division, Ministry of Health, Government of India (GoI) to reach out to every private doctor and through them, every TB patient in Pune and Maharashtra.

Under the IMA End TB Project, Continuous Medical Education Programmes (CMEs) is being conducted for IMA members for Standards of TB Care in India, to improve notification of TB patients from private providers, establish linkages for expanding diagnosis and treatment in line with standards of care and thereby enhancing the quality TB care to TB patients.

Notification of patients through the NIKSHAY app will enable private doctors to access the various facilities made available by the Government under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) for the benefit of patients seeking care from private sector, including free diagnosis and drugs tests as per the Standard for TB Care in India, as well as the NIKSHAY Poshan Yojana under which every TB patient gets Rs.500/- per month towards nutrition support till completion of treatment.

In Pune and Maharashtra, IMA is regularly monitoring TB notifications and all districts have conducted meetings with Drug control officers and Chemist associations. In addition, IMA is taking innovative steps to promote NIKSHAY app and incentives to improve notification from private sector. The IMA is working to galvanize doctors in the private sector to increase notification and work toward the cause of ending TB by optimal utilization of NIKSHAY.