Reporting of tuberculosis cases in PMC down in last two years

In the past two years reporting of tuberculosis cases in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been affected as the number of reported cases have gone down from over 8,000 in 2019 to a little over 5,000 in 2020 and 2021

In the past two years reporting of tuberculosis cases in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been affected as the number of reported cases have gone down from over 8,000 in 2019 to a little over 5,000 in 2020 and 2021. The coverage of tuberculosis has also been affected from 85% to 55% in the past two years.

The coverage of tuberculosis cases in PMC has been affected from 85% to 55% in the past two years. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The Covid-19 pandemic had affected the coverage and reporting of tuberculosis due to a shortage of staff and less detection. The coverage of beneficiaries is done under the central government’s Nikshay Poshan Yojana.

Dr Vaishali Jadhav, assistant health officer, PMC, said, “In the past two years the reporting and detection of tuberculosis cases in the city have gone down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Usually whenever a patient comes to any hospital be it private or government and if the patient has been complaining of coughing for over two weeks then the sputum is sent for testing of tuberculosis. Patients that are then detected positive for tuberculosis and referred to us. However, in the past two years, the number of patients reported due to tuberculosis has come down because the OPD’s (outpatient department) were shut.”

In the year 2018, the PMC could report 5,256 tuberculosis patients and the percentage of beneficiaries under the central government scheme was about 89%. In 2019, the number of TB patients went up to 8,061 and the percentage of coverage went up to 66%. In 2020 the number of beneficiaries was 5,663 and the coverage was 75% and in 2021 the number went further down to 5,248 and the coverage went down to 55%.

“The pressure to handle Covid-19 in the city was so high that the focus on other diseases was almost neglected. However, now the civic body is restarting its survey of listing out non-communicable diseases and also other diseases which have to be notified as per government rules,” said Jadhav.