The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent

A round Table meeting titled Tuberculosis control: Present circumstances and action plan to combat it in future was held recently at Sadar hospital conference room of the town.

The meeting was organized in association with national tuberculosis check programme, health department, health and family planning ministry, Rangpur press club and BRAC. (Abdul Ahad, Deputy Commissioner was present as chief guest in the meeting while Mahafuzullslam, superintendeni'or police and Rashid Babu, president, Rangpur press club

attended as special guests with Dr Muhammad Shahadat Hussein, the civil surgeon in the chair.

Speakers stressed the need for identification of tuberculosis-affected patients, as it is virus oriented deceases. An affected patient can spread virus easily, which might attack anyone who will come in contact with him. They also

emphasized the need for creating much awareness to prevent it.

The chief goest said, with the development of Medical science, the treatment ofthe diseases became available and the ~diseases are being cured in the country.

The nation "although achieved its target, we still need to go more to eliminate it compelety. He also urged all to create awareness and work together to prevent the diseases.

Dr Muhammad Shahadat Hussein, the civil surgeon said, " Bangladesh is in sixth position of the 22 countries across '- the globe in which the percentage of the patients is high." The disease can be cured easily if the patients were given 'eatm.-eID: and remamed underooservation for two months. The treatment of the diseases in the country is available.

The country, meanwhile, has already achieved the target to check the diseases. But we need to hold the achievement and work for to stop its prevalence. A statistics showed about 101 proved smear positive of one lakh people across the country still. About 85 percent-identified patients were being cured in the country. But the percentage of identification is only 70 percent in the country.

The remaining numbers were unidentified due to lack of care and ignorance of the affected patients. So, we need create much awareness among the people to combat it, he observed. He also mentioned that if the diseases can be handled under Direct Observed Treatment Short- Course (DOTS) methods approved by World Health Organization (WHO), Zillur Da Shah, Senior Health coordinator, BRAC, Rajshahi, Sorwar lahan, Senior Social Communicator, BRAC, Dr Mafijul Islam Manu spoke among others.

A number of newsmen both print and electronic media, physicians, teachers and NGO activists of the district participated the meeting.