Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Monday led the distribution of nutritional food baskets to tuberculosis (TB) patients and handheld X-ray machines to health officials, in a major step to improve TB detection across the state.
The programme was held at the MSFDS in Imphal and supported by the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC), a Nikshay Mitra, under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative as part of the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.
Under the initiative, NTPC has sanctioned around Rs 2.9 crore to provide nutritional assistance to nearly 1,800 TB patients and their families across all districts of Manipur. The support is aimed at helping patients maintain better nutrition during treatment and recovery.
Governor Bhalla said that although Manipur’s reported TB indicators are relatively favourable, more efforts are needed to identify cases, especially in remote and difficult-to-reach areas. He said reported figures may not always reflect the actual number of TB cases.
He urged the Health Department and district authorities to ensure that the newly provided handheld X-ray machines are effectively deployed in remote areas. He also called for regular monitoring of their use and results to improve early detection.
“Greater efforts are needed to strengthen case detection, particularly in remote and difficult-to-reach areas,” Governor Bhalla said, stressing the importance of reaching people who may otherwise remain undiagnosed.
The Governor also welcomed NTPC’s nutritional support for TB patients and expressed hope that the initiative could be expanded as more cases are identified. He called on community leaders and organisations to become Nikshay Mitras and support patients with nutrition, emotional care and social assistance.
NTPC CMD Gurdeep Singh assured that the company is ready to extend its support under the Nikshay Mitra initiative whenever required.Chief Secretary Rajeev Singh Thakur appreciated NTPC’s contribution, while Commissioner (H&FW) Sumant Singh said the initiative is in line with the vision of a TB Mukt Bharat.
The programme was organised by the National Health Mission and the State Directorate of Health Services under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).
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