Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that the government has allocated sufficient funds for providing modern health facilities to the people of Punjab. Talking to reporters after leading an awareness walk regarding TB in connection with the International Tuberculoses Day, here on Wednesday, he said that free diagnostic and treatment facilities are available to tuberculoses patients in all government hospitals across the province.
According to him, mostly poor and less-privileged people fall victim to TB who do not have financial resources for a long and costly treatment as 8 to 9 months treatment is required for complete recovery from TB. Salman said that despite the fact that the government is providing free treatment facilities along with medicines to TB patients it is observed that many of them leave their treatment incomplete which aggravates the situation and new complications emerge.He stressed upon the workers of NGOs, representatives of civil society and common people to persuade TB patients to complete their treatment. He said that TB is a curable disease but needs constant and regular treatment.
On this occasion, Provincial Co-ordinator of TB Programme Dr Darkhashan Badar told reporters that so far the government has provided free treatment facilities to one million TB patients. She informed that one TB patient affects 10 to 15 people in his or her surroundings; therefore, such patients have to take preventive measures while sneezing or coughing.
Dr Badar said that symptoms of prolonged fever, continued cough fatigue and loss of weight need immediate TB test of the patient so that the treatment of the patient may be started timely. A large number of workers of various NGOs, members of civil society and local people along with officials of Health Department participated in the awareness walk.