Health ministry enhances monthly support for TB patients

The Union Health Ministry has doubled the monthly nutrition support under Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana from the existing Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per month for all TB patients, during treatment.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda on Monday said allocation of Rs 1,040 crore to Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana has been approved as nutritional support for all TB patients.

“Now all household contacts of TB patients will be covered under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and will be eligible to receive social support from the community. Till date, Rs 3,202 crore has been disbursed to 1.13 crore beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana,” Nadda said.

The Union Health Ministry has approved a demand on expanding scope of nutritional support to household contacts of TB patients.

“In addition to TB patients, Ni-kshay Mitras will adopt the household contacts of TB patients for distribution of food baskets with a view to improving the immunity of the family members of TB patients. This would lead to a significant reduction in out-of-pocket expenses incurred by TB patients and their families,” the ministry said.

It said the introduction of Energy Dense Nutritional Supplementation would cover approximately 12 lakh underweight patients whose body mass index is less than 18.5 kg/m2 at the time of diagnosis. “Energy Dense Nutritional Supplementation would be provided to all eligible patients for the first two months of their treatment. All TB patients will now receive nutritional support of Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 under Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana,” the ministry said.