Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda announced that the government will launch a toll free help line for TB patients to give them proper counseling and treatment. Other than that government will use mobile and other telecommunication tools in an innovative manner for the programme. Any suspected person can call or even give a missed call on the helpline number. The government health workers will contact the person to check the status of TB as well as provide medical intervention.

The name of the programme is ‘Call to Action for TB Free India‘.

one of the biggest challenges faced by the TB control programme is reaching out to the TB patients. This initiative will help the Health Workers to reach the patients easily. India accounts for almost 25% of the 8.6 million TB cases reported worldwide. The number of drug resistant tuberculosis cases estimated in India is also significantly high at 110,000. The Health Minister sought greater cooperation in eradicating the disease from the country before 2020.

To make India TB free, the minister said, the government will ensure 90 percent coverage of BCG (vaccine) under the Mission Indradhanush. It will diagnose all TB cases within two weeks of symptoms and refer to the nearest public health centre and ensure treatment completion.