TB detection Speedy at KAPV Govt. Medical college Trichy

TB detection Speedy at KAPV Govt. Medical college Trichy



The results for sputum test for microbacterium tuberculosis and multi-drug resistant TB (MDRTB) will be available in two hours for patients from the district, thanks to a newly-installed equipment at the microbiology department of KAP Viswanatham Government Medical College here.

The equipment, cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CB-NAAT), is expected to improve the diagnosis facility and reduce the number of TB patients in the district.

The CB-NAAT was inaugurated on World TB Day during a programme organised by the health and family welfare department, Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) and National Service Scheme of Periyar EVR College.

Trichy district collector K S Palanisamy appealed to the students to disseminate facts about TB and create awareness among people to prevent them from getting infected by the disease.

"Patients should not fail to take medicines continuously otherwise they will become MDRTB patients and whoever will receive the disease from them will also be MDRTB," said Palanisamy.

Each TB patient spreads the disease to at least 10 to 15 people every year. A total of 1,522 pulmonary TB patients including 1,150 men and 372 women were identified in Trichy in 2014.

The district had 45 field staff to provide treatment to TB patients.

The CB-NAAT will ensure quick results of sputum test for TB patients at anti-retroviral therapy (ART). "CB-NAAT equipment will reduce the waiting period for the sputum test of the suspected TB patients. If the patients coming to ART centre have symptoms, their sputum will be sent to the test and results will be made available in few hours so that the treatment for TB can be started at the earliest.

Prior to the inauguration of the facility, the health officials had to wait for a long time to get the results of the sputum test from Bangalore and other places.