Latest news with #NikshayPoshanYojana
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Centre approves supplementary funds for Punjab under National Health Mission
Chandigarh: After standoffs over funding in recent years, the Union ministry of health and family welfare approved supplementary funding of Rs 23.22 crore for Punjab under the National Health Mission (NHM) for the financial year 2025–26. The additional funding aims to boost nutrition support for tuberculosis (TB) patients, promote innovative public health campaigns, and strengthen digital mental health infrastructure across the state. The revised budget signals a shift in Punjab's health priorities toward targeted public health interventions, especially in nutrition, mental health, and disease elimination, within a constrained fiscal space. With the latest approvals, Punjab's total NHM allocation for 2025–26 now stands at Rs 1,841.65 crore, which includes both previously sanctioned funds and the newly approved supplementary proposals. A major portion of the supplementary funding — Rs 19.31 crore — has been earmarked for the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, a direct benefit transfer scheme that provides monthly nutritional support to TB patients. In addition, Rs 2.82 crore has been approved for state-specific TB innovations, such as community engagement and Jan Bhagidari-based awareness campaigns. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The National Deworming Day campaign has also received a boost, with Rs 55.3 lakh allocated for the procurement of Albendazole tablets aimed at treating more than 22.8 lakh children aged 1 to 19 years across the state. Another Rs 49.3 lakh has been sanctioned under the Tele-MANAS initiative — the govt's national mental health helpline project. The funds will cover salaries for essential mental health professionals such as a Senior Consultant, Counsellors, Psychiatric Social Workers, and Clinical Psychologists, along with operational costs for running the state-level Tele-MANAS cell in Punjab. While these new approvals provide much-needed support for priority health areas, they have been offset by an equivalent surrender of previously sanctioned funds that remained unspent. According to the official record, Punjab surrendered Rs 23.22 crore from earlier allocations, which included savings from TB diagnostics, civil works, drug procurement for drug-resistant TB, latent TB, and NCD-related equipment and screening. Officials clarified that the overall NHM resource envelope for Punjab remains unchanged, with the supplementary approvals matched rupee-for-rupee by the surrendered funds. The adjustments are part of the Union health ministry's strategy to allow states to reallocate resources mid-cycle in response to evolving health needs and program performance. THE STANDOFF The Punjab govt and Union health ministry were involved in a tiff over the branding of Ayushman Arogya Kendras as Aam Aadmi Clinics. The dispute led to the suspension of NHM funds of Rs 112 crore for the financial year 2022–23 and Rs 366.41 crore for 2023–24, from a total central allocation of Rs 457.90 crore. In Nov 2024, the two sides reached an agreement to rebrand the clinics as Ayushman Arogya Kendras, aligning with the Centre's guidelines. The renaming process was completed by Jan 2025 and included wall painting, installation of six logos, name boards, and defined border patterns for windows and doors.
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
TB registration rate down 34% since 2015: Govt
Gandhinagar: Claiming that Gujarat has made significant progress in the 'TB-free India' campaign, the state govt on Thursday said that compared to 2015, there was a 34% reduction in the registration rate of new TB patients and a 37% decrease in the mortality rate in 2023. Quoting state health minister Rushikesh Patel, an official statement said that TB diagnosis will soon be available in all talukas, as the state govt was in the process of procuring 180 Truenat machines. About 140 such machines are already available at various hospitals in the state. The statement said that between Jan and April this year, 45,282 new TB patients were registered, which was 1,011 lower than for the same period in 2024. Under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, assistance is provided so that TB patients can get nutritious food. The Union govt deposits Rs 1,000 monthly directly into the patient's account through Direct Benefit Transfer. In Gujarat, Rs 46.50 crore in assistance was deposited through DBT into the accounts of 1,19,833 patients in 2024, an official statement said.
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
In fight against TB, poor nutrition a silent killer
MUMBAI: A 32-year-old woman from a Worli slum is battling tuberculosis (TB) for the second time. A few months ago, she was diagnosed with drug-resistant TB—a more severe and harder-to-treat version of the disease. The woman lacks a crucial component in her treatment regimen – one no doctor can provide. The truth is, adequate nutrition alone would greatly raise her chances of recovery. Studies have shown that malnutrition fuels deaths and drug resistance in TB patients, undermining efforts to treat patients with all forms of the disease. On the other hand, a nutrient-rich diet significantly enhances positive outcomes. Part of the reason the woman is malnourished is that, for the last four months, she has not received the ₹1,000 monthly nutritional support under the government's Nikshay Poshan Yojana. The sum, recently doubled, is meant to help TB patients afford the bare essentials of a recovery-friendly diet. 'My monthly food expenses are around ₹2,000. So I skip the ₹700 protein powder prescribed by my doctor,' she told HT. A grim reality Vatsala was one of 2,800 people diagnosed with drug-resistant TB in Mumbai in 2024. That year, Mumbai recorded 60,051 TB cases—averaging 164 new cases diagnosed each day. In Maharashtra, TB detection rose marginally, by 2% in 2024 – 2,28,877 cases were reported, or 627 cases a day. In 2024, Mumbai alone witnessed 2,264 TB-related deaths—averaging over six deaths a day. Parel recorded the highest toll – 377 deaths, according to data obtained through the Right to Information Act, 2005. Nutritional support Health activists say the government should consider food a medical necessity for TB patients. Ganesh Acharya, a health activist working with TB patients in Mumbai, said, 'The ₹1,000 support should be raised to at least ₹2,500 if we want patients to recover. Nutrition is not a luxury—it is the core of TB treatment.' His concerns are reflected in the findings of the RATIONS trial—a landmark study (conducted between 2019 and 20-22, and published in The Lancet in 2023) in tribal Jharkhand, where TB-affected families were provided macronutrient-rich food baskets (1,200 kcal for patients and 750 kcal for household contacts). The trial showed significantly improved treatment outcomes and a reduction in TB incidence among contacts (family members). Based on this, a modelling study published in The Lancet Global Health (March 2025) estimated that providing food and supplements to just 50% of India's TB-affected households could prevent 361,200 deaths and 880,700 new TB cases between 2023 and 2035. Dr Finn McQuaid, one of the RATIONS researchers, told Hindustan Times, 'My understanding is that ( ₹1,000) is a big step in the right direction but it's not quite there yet. Another issue is that the composition of food baskets is important (they must contain sufficient proteins and micronutrients), which cash support alone may not address.' Dr Pranay Sinha, assistant professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, said implementation, not just policy design, is the bigger challenge. 'Lack of access to banking and other logistical delays prevent persons with TB from receiving the money at the most critical juncture of their treatment. We need some operational innovations to ensure that PWTB get the money as soon as possible post-diagnosis.' Role of Body Mass Index BMI is a key clinical indicator in TB outcomes—lower BMI increases mortality risk. However, McQuaid cautions against targeting support based on BMI. The RATIONS trial showed benefits even in patients with normal BMI, he underscores. On the flipside, Dr Pranay Sinha points out, even TB patients with normal BMI may suffer micronutrient deficiencies, noting studies linking Vitamin A deficiency to a ten-fold TB risk and citing 25% mortality in patients with BMI below 14 in Tamil Nadu, where he advocates early inpatient nutritional care. Sponsor a patient Experts feel it is not wise to lean too heavily on government schemes for nutritional support, an issue the Ni-kshay Mitra scheme hopes to address. A government scheme, it aims to enhance community involvement in the fight against TB by linking patients with supporters, or 'mitras', who provide assistance. Pulmonologist Dr Vikas Oswal said, 'The ₹1,000 is not meant to cover an entire diet, but it's a helpful supplement. The Ni-kshay Mitra initiative enables individuals and organisations to sponsor patients and provide regular food baskets.' However, patients from high-burden areas such as Govandi and Dharavi told HT that this support too is inconsistent. A 44-year-old autorickshaw driver from Dharavi, who is undergoing treatment for bone tuberculosis, said he last received the food basket in November 2024. 'The local politician who was distributing it stopped. The basket had apples, pomegranates, and grains—it helped us survive for seven months. I can't work due to my health, and my wife supports the household. TB medicines kill my appetite, but getting good food encourages me to eat better than just dry roti at home,' he said. According to the Ni-kshay Mitra dashboard, Maharashtra currently has 1,50,579 people undergoing TB treatment. While 14,194 donors have registered under the scheme—and 83.2% committed to providing food baskets for at least six months—coverage remains patchy. In Dadar, of the 3,041 patients under treatment, only 1,569 received food baskets. In another ward, just 1,646 out of 2,133 got assistance—barely 60%. 'There's a system,' said Acharya, 'but it's breaking where it's needed the most.' Dr Sandeep Sangale, Joint Director (TB and Leprosy), Maharashtra, dismissed claims that some TB patients are still receiving ₹500 instead of the revised ₹1,000 nutrition support. 'All patient accounts are centrally linked and payments are generated alphabetically through the system. There is no possibility of anyone receiving ₹500 now. The disbursal is done every three months, so patients in earlier payment cycles may have received a lump sum for three months. The next instalment will be credited once their cycle resumes,' he said.
