Department of Health to Discuss Three-year Strategic Plan on TB Control

The Department of Health, CTA is holding the ‘Tuberculosis Program review meeting’ at the Tibetan Reception Centre from 31 January – 1 February.

The Tuberculosis Program Review Meeting in progress

Over 30 medical officers, doctors, nurses from major Tibetan hospitals and branches, representatives from Department of Education, Department of Religion and Culture, Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society and doctors from Delek hospital and Mentsee Khang are participating in the review meeting.

The chief guest of the ceremony was Yeshi Wangmo, Additional Secretary, Department of Health, accompanied by Administrator of Delek Hospital, Dawa Phunkyi, Dr Kunchok Dorjee, Delek Hospital, Tsewang Norbu, Deputy Director, Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society and dealing officers of the Department of Health.

The chief guest, Additional Secretary Yeshi Wangmo, in her inaugural speech, reinstated the commitment of the Health Department towards combating tuberculosis in Tibetan population and thanked members of the Tibetan health care sector for their unyielding cooperation and service.

The objective of the review meeting, as told by the Additional Secretary, is in line with the ambitious five-year plan of the Ind

Participants of the two-day review meeting during the inaugural ceremony

ian government to eliminate Tuberculosis by 2025. The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) among Tibetan refugees in India is 431 cases/100,000 persons, compared with 181 cases/100,000 persons overall in India in 2010. “In view of that, our objective is to discuss a strategic plan to control and reduce TB incidences in our community by 2020”.

Participants of the two-day Review meeting with Additional Secretary Yeshi Wangmo of Department of Health, Dawa Phunkyi, Administrator of Delek Hospital, Dr Kunchok Dorjee, Delek Hospital, Deputy Secretary of STSS and dealing officers

She also assured support and facilitation on behalf of the Department towards the implementation of the program.

Jampa Phuntsok, Project Officer, Department of Health briefly introduced the agenda of the review meeting. “The Department of Health has been partnering with Delek Hospital in implementing TB control initiatives in schools, monasteries and settlements. The preventive committee of the Health deparment and Zero TB program has received significant progress in combating TB epidemic. With the onset of the meeting, we begin with a renewed commitment to achieve a marginal control over TB in the three-year timeline”.

The meeting is being funded by USAID.